Afterburn
by anissaannalise
Summary: UPDATED: CHAP 19. Post BlackJack & beyond. Heather's back in Jericho, Jake is... Jake & we're closing in on the end of S2.
1. The Best Laid Plans

**A/N: Afterburn** is planned as a long fan fiction series based on the television show Jericho. It will focus mainly on the characters of Heather, Jake and Emily and their interactions & reactions to situations. Consider it AU because I'm sure it'll take a few tangents the show doesn't but the main themes should remain in tact (at least until we get to the point that canon has stopped). All original characters will make appearances (even if only in flashback). Some liberties have been taken with the canon timeline for the sake of continuity & pace. The story begins after the episode entitled Black Jack.

Additionally, I would encourage you to leave feedback when you've read. I'm interested in what you like, just as much as what you don't like so do feel free to share any concrit you have. It can only help me and make for a more entertaining experience all around.

**Disclaimer (casual):** I totally don't own Jericho or any characters from the show. This is just my toybox & the only things I own are my own original characters. ;)

**Disclaimer (formal):** Jericho, all characters & canon fictional locations therein and associated trademarks are the sole intellectual property of CBS Paramount Television, CBS Studios, Inc., Junction Entertainment & Fixed Mark Prod. This work is not intended to infringe on the copyrights or trademarks held, but is solely a work of fan fiction and for diversion and amusement, not for profit.

* * *

**Title: Afterburn (Chapter 1/?)**

**Chapter 1: The Best Laid Plans**

**NEW BERN**

When Heather and Eric were discovered trying to sabotage the munitions factory, she had no idea how much worse things could get. Her hometown was no longer recognizable and neither were those in charge of it. Phil Constantino had been Sheriff when she'd lived there and had always been known as a reasonable and even amiable sort. There wasn't any trace of that in him any longer. Even his features seemed to have hardened over time. And given all that everyone had been through she could understand that... to a point. She'd only had an inkling of just how much everyone and everything had changed and it was going to get far worse than she imagined before there'd be a hint of getting better.

When they'd been discovered, Eric told her to run. They took off in separate directions. She ran as fast as she could and just as she was about to round the corner of the corridor she was struck. That wasn't the hit that rendered her unconscious though, it was the one that her head took when she hit the floor. She thought she tasted blood just before everything went black.

When she awoke she was sitting in a chair, her hands cuffed behind her at a table with a light overhead she was sure was ten times brighter than it should be given the state of power in general. She squinted and closed her eyes in an attempt to focus and adjust her eyes to the light. It was only making her head hurt more. So much so that she hadn't noticed the person on the other side of the table. He was sitting just beyond the cast of the light in the shadows.

Constantino.

"Wake up!" his voice reverberated off the walls of the interrogation room.

She winced in pain. She still tasted blood in her mouth. She looked up and across the table in the direction of his voice.

"Well, Miss Lisinski... it seems that you have a problem."

She opened her mouth to answer and ran her tongue across the inside of her cheek where her teeth had cut a deep gash.

"A problem?" she heard her voice waver with fear and she shifted in her seat as much as she could with her hands cuffed behind her.

"Yes. You, have become my problem and that, isn't a good place to be."

Heather's breath hitched in her throat and she couldn't speak. She realized that she was in a good bit of danger and was fairly alarmed. She hoped Eric had gotten away.

"You're manufacturing weapons. I... saw your map of Jericho" she said as she felt her stomach tie itself into knots of fear.

"What you saw was the only alternative New Bern has to survive. You've betrayed your own town. We welcomed you back, gave you use of our facilities, shared our limited resources and you went out of your way to destroy us."

"I... wasn't trying to destroy anyone. You can't do this. You can't really plan on attacking innocent people" she said, more trying to convince herself that what she knew to be so couldn't be.

"Innocent... doesn't matter," he began and paused momentarily staving off rage, "Survival does."

"If you really plan to do this... you're insane."

Constantino stood up and walked around the table toward her "What I am, Heather" he said and bent over to meet her face to face "is the law."

Heather looked away quickly. In his eyes she saw all of the distressing things she'd witnessed since her return to New Bern mixed with wrath. There was no ground to be gained in reason with Constantino and she realized that left her at a profound loss and in a considerable amount of peril.

"Take her to lockup!" he barked to the guards in the room.

The door opened and before Heather could say anything, she was pulled up out of her seat and roughly escorted out of the room.

In a last dash of panic, she called out, "Constantino! You can't do this! Why are any of you listening to him?! This isn't right!"

Fighting every step of the way, the guards dragged her down the corridor & pushed her into a cell after removing her handcuffs. She turned to look at the guards as they walked away and noticed Eric in the adjacent cell. Her heart sank a little to know he hadn't been able to get away but part of her was glad to see a familiar face.

"Heather! Are you okay?!" he whispered as he leaned forward to see the guards down the hall. He looked a little roughed up too.

"I'm fine, Eric. Are you alright?" she whispered back and attempted a smile in reassurance.

He nodded in the affirmative and told her that everything would be okay. After her short time in the interrogation room she wasn't inclined to believe that any longer but she appreciated his sentiment just the same.

"We're an unlikely pair. The Deputy Mayor and the elementary school teacher taking down a factory" he chuckled at the irony.

She chuckled in kind, "Well, I'll have you know that part of my college coursework was Munitions Destruction & Government Subversion. They didn't teach you that at Princeton, huh?" she chided.

She and Eric had gotten to know one another a bit over the last few weeks and though he was often quiet and seemingly far off in thought, when he did chat she caught glimpses of a quick wit and a truly caring person. She, like everyone else, knew of what had happened with his marriage to April but she'd found it difficult to dislike Eric. It struck her then, that the Greens all seemed to have a streak in them that no matter how bad a situation, their first response was to make sure others were okay. They exchanged a few more jokes before a guard came walking by and called for silence.

Heather leaned back on the wall and it dawned on her that her shoulders hurt from having been handcuffed and pulled about. She shrugged that off and her brow knit. She was worried. Worried about Jericho and what was happening in New Bern. And how she and Eric were going to fare now that they'd wound up on the wrong side of Constantino. Over the weeks she'd been there she'd seen the situation deteriorating and escalating at the same time. The whole experience had broken her heart and it sickened her to see.

New Bern wasn't the same place she'd grown up and it wasn't just the aftermath of the bombs or what Ravenwood had done. The people had changed. They'd turned to preying on one another in a way that was cannibalistic and barbaric. Instead of pulling together they'd pulled each other a part and devolved somehow. She'd been witness to Constantino and his men meting out their brand of justice. And while that was horrifying the worst of it was the lack of outrage and revolt by the citizens. The worse things became the more virulent the propaganda against and scapegoating of Jericho became. It was to the point that many people she'd known were no longer recognizable and when they looked at her they no longer saw a friend, they saw an interloper. The days of the Fillmore County Fair, fishing competitions at Bass Lake and the annual Page Township Crafts Expose seemed almost like a distant memory for the sister towns. She was glad that neither her grandparents or parents were alive to see what had come to pass.

Her mind spun with thoughts and before long the guards returned. This time they took Eric off to be interrogated. Heather scrambled to her feet as they escorted him down the corridor. There wasn't anything left to do but pace.

_"Just for a few days" he'd said._

_"What? You worried about me?" she'd asked Jake in the cold night air on the road back from Black Jack. _

_"Come back in one piece" he'd told her with that slanted smile of his and then they'd hugged._

Heather's thoughts turned fondly to her last conversation with Jake. It was only supposed to be a few days, but Heather knew it'd likely be more realistically a few weeks. Maybe a month tops. Her time in New Bern had now stretched into almost three months. Between concept, design, drafting, models, raw materials & production it had taken roughly six weeks to get the first wind turbine perfected and ready to go back to Jericho.

She and Ted had worked day and night and had to scout out the materials to make it but they'd succeeded. It reminded her of when they were in high school and worked together in Physics club, trading tools and laughs long into the night. When she was a sophomore and Ted a junior they'd collaborated and won first place in the State Science Fair. He'd never condescended to her and always knew she was quite the problem solver and knew more about applied mechanics than their instructor. When she was applying to college, Ted was the one who had encouraged her to go all out for her dream school, CalTech. And when she got in, Ted was her biggest supporter next to her grandparents. He was her best and pretty much only friend during highschool and she loved him for that.

Prior to running into Ted at Black Jack, she'd seen him last a few months before the bombs went off, when she'd gone to visit her family's grave site. Just like always, seeing him made her instantly feel less lonely. He was more than just a friend, he was family too. Since her return to New Bern, she'd been so glad to have him around but now she worried for him. She didn't want the things she'd done to affect him adversely and she didn't put such things past Constantino.

Heather sighed and looked through the bars of the cell at Eric. The guards had brought him back about an hour before a little worse for wear, but now he appeared to be sleeping. She hoped he was okay. She'd dozed off a few times but couldn't really get to sleep even though she was exhausted. Her mind turned over and over with past memories and pieces of conversations that all seemed somehow unfinished.

"Just for a few days" she repeated Jake's words and promised herself she would make it back in one piece... one way or another.


	2. Late At Night

**A/N: Afterburn** is planned as a long fan fiction series based on the television show Jericho. It will focus mainly on the characters of Heather, Jake and Emily and their interactions & reactions to situations. Consider it AU because I'm sure it'll take a few tangents the show doesn't but the main themes should remain in tact (at least until we get to the point that canon has stopped). All original characters will make appearances (even if only in flashback). Some liberties have been taken with the canon timeline for the sake of continuity & pace. The story begins after the episode entitled Black Jack.

Additionally, I would encourage you to leave feedback when you've read. I'm interested in what you like, just as much as what you don't like so do feel free to share any concrit you have. It can only help me and make for a more entertaining experience all around.

**Disclaimer (casual):** I totally don't own Jericho or any characters from the show. This is just my toybox & the only things I own are my own original characters. ;)

**Disclaimer (formal):** Jericho, all characters & canon fictional locations therein and associated trademarks are the sole intellectual property of CBS Paramount Television, CBS Studios, Inc., Junction Entertainment & Fixed Mark Prod. This work is not intended to infringe on the copyrights or trademarks held, but is solely a work of fan fiction and for diversion and amusement, not for profit.

* * *

**Title: Afterburn (Chapter 2/?)**

**Chapter 2: Late At Night**

It was turning into another restless night of sleep for Jake. Having had enough of the tossing and turning he decided to get up. He threw back the covers in annoyance and got out of bed. His eyes came to rest on his desk and an unopened Christmas gift. It had been sitting there for a couple months now having finally been placed there by his mother after a longer than necessary tenure downstairs.

He remembered the awkwardness of being handed the present on Christmas day by his father when the family had gathered in celebration. He'd recognized Heather's handwriting on the paper she'd used to wrap it.

He asked his father how he'd come by it and received the short answer, "Emily."

Jake nodded and tried not to think about the look his father was giving him that so closely resembled the one he'd given when Heather mentioned their kiss and again when Emily came over for Thanksgiving. He hadn't wanted to open it in front of everyone else, though he hadn't really thought about why that was. Then Emily came by to wish the Greens a Merry Christmas. She'd said Roger had invited the refugees to their home for Christmas dinner and festivities. Jake found himself feeling self-conscious and somewhat guilty remembering their near-kiss a few weeks earlier. There was also a part of him that was a little bit hurt by the seeming ease with which Emily dropped him, though he understood that she was in a difficult position. He sighed at his ability to get himself caught up in a sort of romantic triangle post-apocalypse and the realization that he had no idea what the hell he was doing or why, in such situations.

He did know one thing though, that present from Heather wasn't going away and neither were his mind's regular turns of thought to her. His missing her was due to more than the time she'd been in New Bern and if he'd tacked on the time he'd spent avoiding her before she'd gone it was more like four months since he'd really talked to her. He'd only himself to blame but that didn't lessen the feeling any. He went over to the desk and picked up the package. His name was written across the front in neat and uniform lettering and he smiled because it seemed very like her. She'd even replaced the dot in her "i"with little sprigs of holly when she'd written out "Merry Christmas". He smiled and ripped the wrapping open, careful not to tear the portion she'd written on.

It was a book and he wondered what she'd decided he needed to read. He checked the spine but it was blank so he opened it to find it wasn't just a book, it was a journal. The leather warmed in his hands as he turned it over and opened its front cover.

On the inside she'd written an inscription and he chuckled softly. Jake smiled and remembered a conversation they'd shared so many months ago.

He'd walked her home after attending the church service following the discovery of the bodies at Bass Lake. It had been a rough day and though he wasn't usually given to religion he didn't mind so much when his mother mentioned that the service was going to be held and asked if he was going to go. It helped him in a way and gave him some sort of solace. When it was over and everyone was filing out he reached out and touched Heather's arm. She'd stopped and turned around with a smile that glowed more than the candles illuminating the church foyer.

_"Hey. I just wanted to thank you for coming along today" he'd said smiling back._

_"No biggie. I just wish we could have gotten there earlier and maybe saved some of them" she replied with a shrug. _

_"Yeah" he agreed with a nod. "Listen, Heather, there's a few people I want to talk to but... can I walk you home?" he asked, his hand still on her arm._

_"Sure. I'll meet you outside" she said with a smile before turning away._

_Jake spoke briefly with Jimmy and Bill and when he'd made his way outside he was met with Emily. She complimented him on what he'd done and had even said he was a good man for having done it, then she kissed him on the cheek. He couldn't help but smile. It was unexpected and gave him the just reassurance he'd needed when he walked over to Heather. Since events had conspired to keep him in Jericho, what he'd been wanting more than anything was to prove to people he wasn't the same guy who'd left five years ago. That the perpetual fuck-up had been replaced with a better guy, even if he did have trouble convincing himself most of the time. The cool thing about being around Heather was that he didn't have to prove anything._

_"Ready?" he asked as he walked up to Heather, flashlight in hand._

_"Absolutely" she replied with a nod and smile, seeming to have been pulled out of deep thought._

_"This way, right?" he asked and shined the flashlight in the general direction of left. _

_"Aww, you remembered" she teased as they set off._

_"Well, occasionally I retain things " he teased back._

_They turned down Orchard Lane and walked past a few other people who happened to be out._

_"I really liked what your Dad had to say."_

_"Yeah. He has a way with speeches in general and people in particular" he said, noticing that the lilt usually present in her voice was missing._

_"So did my Dad. It's not exactly one of the talents I inherited though"_

_"Same here" he said as they continued on, "I guess that makes us a matched set."_

_She laughed a little when he glanced over at her. He noticed that he felt both relaxed and a yet a little nervous around her and shook off the latter thought. But he did love her smile._

_When they arrived at her house on Creekrun Road, they were laughing like old friends._

_"This is me" she said pointing to her house as they came to a stop in front of a picket fence._

_Jake could make it out in the moonlight and recognized the bungalow. _

_"I always liked this house. It was empty and seriously run down when I left town" he reminisced._

_"Well, it's now occupied and a little less run down. You wanna come in for a bit?"_

_"Are you sure?"_

_"'Of course. The least I can do is invite you in since you were all chivalrous and walked me home."_

_He smiled and accepted. It struck him as funny when they walked up the short gravel driveway toward her house that they limped in time. But when she made mention of it as a joke he had to look twice at her because it was like she'd read his mind exactly._

_Once inside her house she lit a few candles and told him to make himself at home while she headed off to the kitchen. He heard her shuffling around and then call to him, "I've water, cold coffee and lukewarm lemonade. What are you willing to risk?"_

_"Enough that I'll let you pick" he called back and looked around her cozy but neat living room._

_He liked her home and thought it looked just like her. Warm, inviting and just a little out of the norm. The cozy sofa and chairs were what he was sure people called "Shabby Chic" and a whirlwind of florals and stripes. And her computer desk and equipment screamed tech girl 2.0. _

_He noticed childhood pictures with who he assumed were her family mostly and a couple of she and Emily and someone Jake assumed was Roger. He didn't linger over those long and then turned to see that she had a lot of books. _

_He walked over and looked at her overstocked bookshelves and noticed her framed diploma almost eclipsed by stacks of books. He'd realized she was smart but the CalTech degree in Mechanical Engineering staring back at him made her even more interesting. He shook his head at the fact that he'd questioned her about stripping wires. He wondered what she was doing in Jericho teaching children but also thought that with Heather, even that, didn't seem out of place. He smiled at her weathered Star Wars paperbacks alongside various novels and stacks of magazines._

_"I took a chance" she said as she entered the room, glasses in hand, "and went with the lemonade. Of the options, it seemed most like you."_

_He turned around as she handed him a glass. _

_"Thanks. I think you may have enough books to rival the library" he said with a nod as they sat down._

_"Just a few. It's kind of like being surrounded by a group of really good friends" she smiled and shrugged._

_He leaned back and realized there was something poking him in his back. He reached behind and pulled out a book._

_"Or sitting on them" he laughed._

_"Oh! Sorry" she said and reached out for the book._

_"No, it's fine" he said and looked at the cover. "You keep a journal?"_

_She shrugged awkwardly, "It's all the rage in nerd chic circles. New York and L.A. can't stop talking about it."_

_He laughed and handed her the book. For a fleeting moment he wondered if he'd rated a mention in it._

_"No. I think it's cool. I've always meant to do that but... I don't know. I just never seem to get around to it. What got you into it?" he asked, genuinely interested._

_She smiled shyly and said, "My grandparents raised me from the time I was ten. They were great and they loved me a lot. And, I was really good at school but I didn't have a lot of friends, so I'd spend most of my time reading or tinkering with one project or another. I didn't spend a lot of time talking though. Anyway, on my fourteenth birthday, my grandmother gifted me with a diary. I took it and put it in my desk. I didn't write in it or even look at it for months. I didn't know what I was supposed to do with it exactly. And then one afternoon, after a particularly sucky day at school, I sat down at my desk and took it out and just started writing. About... everything. How I felt. What I thought. What I wanted and just everything in between. And I realized that I'd written all these things that I never could or would tell anyone. And that, was what my Grandmother's gift to me really was. She gave me an eternal confidante and a place that I could say... anything... even things I'd never voice."_

_When she stopped talking he realized that he'd been staring at her. What she'd said was interesting but watching her tell it was even more so. There was something in the way she spoke about her past that he found compelling and he found himself thinking of that on his walk home that evening._

He sat down on his bed and smiled for the memory. He looked at her inscription once more and read it aloud"For the times when you can't say the things you feel."

He reached over and picked up a pen from the night table near his bed.


	3. The More Things Change

**A/N: Afterburn** is planned as a long fan fiction series based on the television show Jericho. It will focus mainly on the characters of Heather, Jake and Emily and their interactions & reactions to situations. Consider it AU because I'm sure it'll take a few tangents the show doesn't but the main themes should remain in tact (at least until we get to the point that canon has stopped).

Thanks to JT for being my Beta on this chapter. The end result is so much better than the original.

**Disclaimer (casual):** I totally don't own Jericho or any characters from the show. This is just my toybox & the only things I own are my own original characters. ;)

**Disclaimer (formal):** Jericho, all characters & canon fictional locations therein and associated trademarks are the sole intellectual property of CBS Paramount Television, CBS Studios, Inc., Junction Entertainment & Fixed Mark Prod. This work is not intended to infringe on the copyrights or trademarks held, but is solely a work of fan fiction and for diversion and amusement, not for profit.

* * *

**Title: Afterburn (Chapter 3/?)**

**Chapter 3: The More Things Change**

Emily didn't show up at work because she just wasn't in the mood to deal that day. She was beginning to wonder how she'd wound up at this point in her life as she rolled over and climbed out of bed and headed to her bathroom.

In the three weeks since Roger had been ousted from Jericho her days had become one continuous and disturbingly repetitive blur. She got up and dressed. She went to work and she was supposed to be teaching but not only was her heart not in it but her students were less than enthusiastic as well. She'd wound up assigning them chapter work from their texts and had all but dispensed with the lecture portion of her class. She came home. Alone.

She picked up her toothbrush and again missed seeing Roger's in it's spot in the heavy pewter holder that bore their entwined engraved monograms. Even when he'd been missing its presence was something of a comfort to her. She realized that on some level that seemed foolish but to her it hadn't just been an insignificant piece of plastic. It had been another reminder of his promise of companionship. But that was over with now. He was gone and he wasn't coming back. She finished brushing her teeth and instead of replacing her brush back in the holder, she left it on the sink. Before stepping into the bath, she tipped the holder off it's perch and it tumbled into the matching wastebasket.

As she washed her hair her she couldn't help but feel like she was cutting class like she used to do when she was in highschool. That she found her way into the profession that she'd found terminally boring had amused her. She knew she wasn't a natural teacher. It was more a thing she fell into than one she'd desired and planned for back in college. It was what she could most realistically do and remain in Jericho. And even so, she didn't hate her job. In fact, some aspects were very satisfying. She enjoyed seeing a flicker of excitement in her students eyes. She remembered all too well how nonplussed she'd been as a teenager so when she was faced with a truly interested student in her History classes, she was more than grateful. In those moments, she felt successful. Those were the times she was glad to have the opportunity to do what she did and made all the less than mediocre moments worthwhile. But since the bombings those moments were farther and fewer between and her motivation to continue on had waned.

Lather. Rinse. Repeat. Enough.

She finished up, dressed and pulled her wet hair into a ponytail before heading downstairs. She pulled on a sweater to fend off the chill in the air and headed for the kitchen. She considered the absolute folly in her well appointed kitchen.

"Wall to wall state of the art appliances and technology. Most likely the best in Jericho. Completely useless without electricity or groceries" she said as she opened a package of peanut butter crackers.

She poured water out of a pitcher and into a camping coffee pot and got about to making a major component of her breakfast. She was never more glad that Roger was a camping aficionado and had all the toys to match. She'd recently found the one burner multi-fuel stove in their attic and the small can of kerosene that went with it. She was elated with that find and when she came across the coffee also in the same box, it was as if Starbuck's had descended.

When she sat at her kitchen table in her and Roger's home, which she had to admit was "rambling" even by standards in_ The Pines_ she contemplated all that had happened in the last few months. She'd found it ironic that Jake's arrival had also marked the bombings. He was a sort of twisted male neo-Aurora. He'd definitely been the herald of a fresh start of sorts though the fair wind was highly debatable. He'd propelled her back in time and she was inundated with memories of her past while being confronted with him in the present. It was more than she'd wanted to reconcile and the added status of Roger being missing had made everything even more difficult. When she wasn't caught up in thoughts of one, she was lost in memories of the other.

That she'd resolved her feelings for Jake was the lie she'd told herself three years ago when she met Roger. In the cold light of reality that kept intruding on her carefully constructed life, she knew that Roger wasn't so much a choice as a lack of options. A means to an end. He'd provided a couple things that Emily had always wanted in her life. Respectability, notoriety, companionship & family. The same things Jake took away when he'd left her behind. Where Jake was concerned, respectability had been a tougher sell in Jericho and there was a fine line between notoriety and notorious. But his ability to provide companionship and family and her desire for them was undeniable. She considered the irony in her ability to have chosen two men in her life who were as different from one another as they could be while still perfectly able to fulfill the things she held dear.

She looked at the two books on the table. One her photo album with pictures of she and Roger during happier times, the other her highschool yearbook. A simple truth had confronted her the last time she'd looked through the former and every time she set eyes on her draw to the latter. She was beyond denying it any longer.

_She stood watching Roger take his leave and kept thinking of those ridiculous movie endings with the guy walking off into the sunset and the heroine running after him for one last kiss. She sort of wished she were that kind of woman and that she could bring herself to that kind of display. But she wasn't and she was far more preoccupied with the fact that his leaving meant that she'd be alone._

_"He'll be okay, Em" Jake said as he stood next to her. _

_"Yeah?" she asked looking at him sideways before turning around to begin her walk home._

_"Yeah. I slipped him a gun and if history is any indicator, he knows how to handle himself out there" he offered and fell in step with her._

_She nodded in agreement and walked on. Jake joined her and she could barely suppress a smirk of satisfaction. She used to love the way he followed after her and she still did. _

_"Thanks."_

_"S'okay. It was the right thing to do" Jake replied and shrug._

_"And that's your new M.O.? The "right thing"?" she asked putting emphasis on her last words._

_"Yeah. It's still in its trial run. I haven't really decided either way." he replied sarcastically._

_She smiled and shook her head, "And here I'd heard you'd changed."_

_"Well, you know what they say. The more things change..." he began, his voice a little less carefree. She noticed he'd shoved his hands in his pockets and was looking across the street. _

_"The more they stay the same" she finished, still watching him._

_"Yeah" he said and finally met her eyes albeit uneasily._

_She stopped walking. He noticed and turned around to face her._

_"So. We're not gonna' talk about it?" she asked pointedly. _

_This was the longest exchange they'd shared since the night Roger returned. Jake had all but ignored her and when he couldn't made every excuse in the world to urgently be elsewhere. That he still employed tactics that he'd been using since they were in highschool was in a way endearing to her. It showed a certain constancy and she knew just how to deal with him. _

_"Talk about what?"_

_She raised an eyebrow in answer. His sigh and inability to keep eye contact meant he understood. _

_"No. We're not gonna' talk about it" he answered finally._

_"Same old Jake" she said and walked over to him. "That's okay, I won't tell."_

_"And what? You're so different?"_

_"Never said I was. That's your thing" she said with a smirk_

_"What's yours?" he asked looking at her askant._

_She only smiled in answer and said, "I'm gonna' walk the rest of the way on my own. I'll see ya' later."_

_His eyes followed her as she backed away and turned around, "Later."_

_She took a few steps and called back, knowing he was still watching her leave, "And Jake?"_

_"Yeah?"_

_"You're no Roger and I'm no Heather" she said matter-of-factly._

_"I'm aware" he called back then turned to walk away._

_The rest of her walk home wasn't so bad and she knew it was the attention from Jake that was responsible for elevating her mood. _

"Screw this."

She pushed both books aside. It was enough now. The hiding herself away. The moping around in her house. She'd never been a background kind of girl and trying it out had gotten very old very quickly. Roger was gone. And while that fairly sucked, there wasn't a lot she could do about it. But she knew she had a standby. Being Jonah Prowse's daughter, she always knew to have a backup plan. This time, her backup was Jake. Circumstance was a funny thing. It had traded out one man for the other in her life and pretty much left her unchanged. Again. She needed someone and Jake was always to be depended upon to make her feel better or try to.

"The more things change." she said to herself.

She got up from the table and finished her coffee. She was going to spend some quality time at Bailey's. It was a sure thing that sooner or later, Jake would make his way there too. It was also a sure thing that sooner or later, they'd be just like they used to be.


	4. Cells

**A/N:** If you're still with me this far in, you know very well what Afterburn is, so I won't restate. This may well be the last chapter I post of this on this site as there haven't been any reviews on this story. It will most certainly continue to be written & posted elsewhere. :)

**Disclaimer (casual):** I totally don't own Jericho or any characters from the show. This is just my toybox & the only things I own are my own original characters.

**Disclaimer (formal):** Jericho, all characters & canon fictional locations therein and associated trademarks are the sole intellectual property of CBS Paramount Television, CBS Studios, Inc., Junction Entertainment & Fixed Mark Prod. This work is not intended to infringe on the copyrights or trademarks held, but is solely a work of fan fiction and for diversion and amusement, not for profit.

* * *

**Title: Afterburn (Chapter 4/?)**

**Chapter 4: Cells**

Heather had never been an accomplished liar. The few times when she'd found herself in the middle of mischief as a child and caught out she had come up with lies severely lacking in plausibility and usually broke down shortly thereafter with the truth. As an adult she'd prided herself on being an honest person and always preferred to deal openly with people and found she'd had almost no problems. She now found herself in a situation for which she was not prepared. She'd already explained her position to Constantino. She had no intention of telling him anything to assist in harming the people of Jericho but she knew that had nothing to do with them still attempting to coerce her into it.

There were some things they'd asked that she hadn't the answers to but that hadn't stopped them from asking repeatedly anyway. She decided that either way, she was done talking. It no longer mattered to her what they asked her, she decided she wasn't answering any longer. She wasn't participating farther in their interrogations. They didn't listen. She wouldn't relent. They weren't going to let her go. She'd had enough of asking. They'd pissed her off enough that her dogged resolve, in some ways, outweighed her fear. She failed to see the logic in Constantino's tactics anyway. If she told them anything, she'd have served her use and she'd seen what they did to people who'd done that. If she told them nothing, even if they did the worst, they still wouldn't have the thing they sought. They'd bred enough spite in her at that point that that was enough for her.

When they came for her she went without incident. The guards cuffed her and led her down the corridor to the interrogation room. Once inside they sat her in a chair, cuffed her hands behind her to the back of the chair and cuffed her ankles to the legs of the chair. Still she said nothing. She wasn't even as repelled by the stench in the room so much anymore. Her shoulders settled into position and a familiar ache. The cold metal of the handcuffs actually provided a measure of relief to her wrists where they'd cut and bruised her over time.

She thought about her students and how much she enjoyed teaching them and seeing their faces. No matter what happened to her, she would do all she could to protect them. Emily crossed her mind too. She thought about how she and Roger deserved to be happy and how she wished to protect both of them from any more harm or grief. She thought of Mayor and Mrs. Green and how they always did what was best for the town. And she thought of Jake. Mostly about the way he risked himself to protect everyone else seemingly without giving a thought to his own peril. All of them were reason enough singly for her to resist, but together, they represented what she identified as her family. They'd all put themselves on the line if and when called to do so. This was her turn and she wasn't going to let them down.

Constantino didn't come in for her latest round of questioning. Instead, one of his head men, Decker Conroy had the task. He had a reputation among the other guards and prisoners of being one who was exceptionally good at his job. As soon as she saw him, she swallowed hard and exhaled slowly.

"Chief thinks you need more... incentive to tell us what we need to know" he said as he sat down across from her.

She looked at the table and then up at him but said nothing.

"So, this is your last chance, before things get less friendly. Do you understand?" his eyes met hers.

"You want to help me" her words fell out of her mouth as neither a question or declaration but as empty.

"You're right, Heather. I just need you to tell me something, anything, that'll be helpful and maybe show some good will. It'll go a long way with Constantino. We can help each other."

"I don't want to go a long way with him. Why are you helping him? Doing... any of this?" her voice was quiet but steady.

He regarded her for a long moment and then began, "The Chief's the one who's kept us alive since Ravenwood. Everyone thought that the bombings were the worst thing that could happen but we were wrong. When the bombs struck if it weren't for his leadership this town would have fallen apart. We all owe him our lives. When Ravenwood came in, we believed they were on our side. Envoys of the government sent to help. Our guard slipped and they handed us our collective asses. And when we dared to voice an opinion and challenge them, they upped the ante with force. When we organized and decided to take them on, they rounded up our families as a negotiating tactic. We refused negotiations and Goetz ordered his men to start killing people. The Chief's wife and son were among those killed before we were able to drive them out. It took three days and it cost a lot of us someone we loved but we came out stronger on the other side. Because of the Chief. He put aside his own loss and galvanized us into a singular force with one goal. Survival. It's a new world and circumstances dictate that harsh realities be realized."

She looked down, "So to hell with right and wrong, huh?"

"We don't have the luxury of picking and choosing our ethics of the day, life's much more basic now. You ask why? He's given us hope and he's delivered on his promises. There is no limit to how far we will follow him."

"Okay. I understand" she nodded.

She really did understand finally. That she disagreed didn't matter to them. No amount of her protestation would ever change their minds any more than their justification would change hers. Opposite sides, entrenched and at an impasse.

"So is there anything you want to tell me?" he asked.

He had hoped that the time she'd already spent locked up coupled with the knowledge of what would happen if she continued to refuse her help along with her affirmation of understanding would be enough to get her to comply.

"What I want to tell you you don't want to hear. And I won't tell you what you want to know."

"You've made your choice" he said, somewhat impressed by the young woman.

"No. It's like you said, I don't have the luxury of picking and choosing either. Survival isn't worth a lot if the life you lead turns into this."

"Touche" he said with a smile, "Given another set of circumstances, I think we could have gotten along. You should know, what's going to happen from here on, gives me no joy."

"I'm fairly certain I'll feel the same way" she said simply, her voice hollow.

**_In Jericho..._**

After the day he'd had with Hawkins and all he'd become privy to, Jake needed the respite of Bailey's to take the edge off. He'd thought about heading home and calling it a day but knew he'd only think about too many things that he didn't have solutions for and likely wouldn't come up with. As he turned onto Main Street and walked toward Bailey's he shook off the knowledge that he routinely acquired information that he couldn't share with anyone else. He had more things than he could count that he couldn't tell anyone but he also had a steadily increasing number of things that he couldn't even write down in the journal Heather had given him.

"Doesn't matter anyway, who has time to think?" he said through clenched teeth as he opened the door to Bailey's.

He stepped in and saw Emily sitting at the bar. He'd been avoiding her and would have turned around and left had he not felt the need for some kind of companionship. Something to distract him from his worries and concerns. She looked up and saw him. He remembered that look in her eyes. She was lonely. He remembered having left her behind and felt a twinge of guilt for it. This was not a night he wanted to be reminded of the pains he'd cause people. He owed her still and he didn't think he'd ever be able to pay the debt in full. He sat down next to her.

"Hey."

"Hey. I wondered when you'd show up" she greeted him with a smile.

"Yeah?"

She nodded, "What are you drinking?"

"With any luck a lot of alcohol" he replied and smiled back at her.

She passed a glass and the bottle of Bailey's latest distilled his way.

"Thanks" he said and poured, feeling a certain level of relief already.

"So, how was your day?"

He glanced over at her and downed his first drink then began pouring another.

"Ah, so it's like that?"

He nodded with a smile, "How 'bout you?"

"I skipped out on school today... again. You know how you wake up some mornings and all you can think is..."

"Fuck it."

She laughed, leaned in and nudged him with her shoulder, "Yeah."

"Like old times."

She smiled and sipped her drink, "So what made your day so suckworthy?"

"You know" he shrugged with a smile, "being stupid enough to get up this morning."

"Been there" she said watching him steadily, "But you didn't come here to talk about it."

He smiled at her and looked down at his drink, "Nope. Came to drink."

"So let's drink" she finished the contents of her glass and tapped it on the bar top.

He picked up the bottle and poured into her glass.

"A gentleman. Thank you."

"Not really, I just wanted to retain possession" he said and set the bottle back down.

"I know the feeling" she said and he swore she was flirting with him.

He looked over at her but said nothing. He wondered for a moment if he would respond to it.

'So... what's going on with you?" he asked instead and took a sip of his drink.

Emily sighed, "I don't know. Everything's just been so... I'm just friggin' tired and bored with it all. I just feel like, I need..." she stopped short.

"A diversion" he finished, looking over at the jukebox as it turned over to begin a new song he hoped for a Sinead O'Connor free night. He considered himself lucky as The Smiths _How Soon Is Now_ began.

"Exactly" she paused and looked at him, "You too?"

"For months."

"I knew that's what you were doing" her tone was one of vindication.

The thought that she'd read him right was almost as satisfying as the alcohol she was ingesting.

"When?"

"Your..._ thing_ with Heather" she said smugly.

Her words stung and reminded him of things he didn't want to think about. He smiled grimly at his drink and finished it.

"Oh, yeah? What made you think that?" he asked nonchalantly as he poured another drink from the bottle. He gave her a sidelong glance and set the bottle back down.

"You know" she shrugged with a sly smile.

"'What? You think she's too good for me?" he asked and looked over as a group of patrons filed in the front door.

"No. I don't think that at all" she said her voice held no malice.

"Right. So... I'm not good enough for her."

"I wouldn't say that either."

"What would you say?" he asked trying not to sound like he really cared. That she possibly held the same opinion of him that he held of himself annoyed him. If the argument had strength in numbers didn't that add to it's validity?

"I'd say that the answer was in your actions and the result."

"Yeah" he said slowly and looked down at his drink then back at Emily, "I guess that's all that matters."

"Look on the bright side" she said, finished her drink and pushed the glass in his direction.

"What's that?"

"At least it didn't go so far that anyone got hurt in the end" she said as he poured her another.

"Well, that's something" he said and downed his drink in one gulp.

He closed his eyes as the liquid burned it's way down his throat.

He knew she was wrong about no one being hurt in the end. He'd been hurt and he knew he'd not done the right thing when it came to Heather. It'd come down to him trying to come up with every reason in the world to walk away from her. And while it hurt it was more bearable than having her walk away from him first. The irony was in the fact that when last they spoke and she'd made it clear that she was letting him off the hook, he hadn't wanted it. He'd spoken before he could stop himself and tried to allay her decision. She hadn't been any the wiser when he'd finally caught his bearings and decided to let her have her moment. It was the least he'd owed her, since he couldn't tell her the truth.

"A toast" she offered.

"To what?" he asked as he shook off his thoughts.

"To us and comfort in the fact that not all things change" Emily said as she held up her glass.

"We'll always have that" Jake added, holding up his glass.

"Cheers" they said in unison and downed their drinks.


	5. Solace

**A/N:** This isn't the longest chapter but fear not, the next is very nearly done. ;) Thanks for the review SarahSoph & I'm glad you've enjoyed the story so far! :D As long as reviews come in, I'll continue to post the story here, so no probs on that front. :D

**Disclaimer (casual):** I totally don't own Jericho or any characters from the show. This is just my toybox & the only things I own are my own original characters.

**Disclaimer (formal):** Jericho, all characters & canon fictional locations therein and associated trademarks are the sole intellectual property of CBS Paramount Television, CBS Studios, Inc., Junction Entertainment & Fixed Mark Prod. This work is not intended to infringe on the copyrights or trademarks held, but is solely a work of fan fiction and for diversion and amusement, not for profit.

* * *

**Title: Afterburn (Chapter 5/?)  
**

**Chapter 5: Solace**

When the guards brought Heather back to her cell, Eric hadn't been sure if she was conscious or not. They hadn't cuffed her and when they put her in the cell she seemed to crumple under her own weight onto the floor. Eric knew very well what they'd done to him and he had no confidence that Constantino or his men would extend leniency to any prisoner, even a woman.

Heather, after a few minutes, willed herself to pull her arm out from under her and rolled over onto her back. She pushed herself up and looked over at Eric. She nodded so he knew she was okay and sat for a minute trying to reclaim her bearings. Over the last two days he'd seen more than she'd wanted to see and endured more than she'd thought she'd be able to stand. She clung to the fact that she still hadn't divulged any information to help Constantino and drug herself over to the common bars between her cell and Eric's and leaned back. They'd taken to sitting back to back and it had been a measure of comfort during the times that neither was inclined to talk. Simply knowing the other was there and feeling the rise and fall of their breathing was enough to convince themselves that somehow, someway they were still okay.

She opened her mouth and closed it again remembering how she'd assured Eric before that she was able to take a hit because she'd played lacrosse in highschool and college. If not for the bruises on her face & the fact that her lip was split, she'd have smiled. Instead she managed a grimace and considered that she'd taken more than a hit over the last day or so.

Eric breathed evenly and tried not to move very much. He wasn't sure whether one of his ribs was broken or simply bruised but it hurt like hell. He'd been glad of finding a friend in Heather during their time in New Bern and was glad that he could be there for her to lean on in their present circumstance. He hadn't felt much like a dependable or honorable person of late, but even before everything had gone bad in New Bern, he'd not seen judgment in Heather's eyes, just friendliness and he was grateful. She'd been a good friend to him and proven to be a source of strength as well. He understood why his brother had been drawn to her when he'd returned to Jericho.

Heather shifted and sighed quietly. Eric's presence was at times, the only thing that had kept her hanging on. They'd traded jokes and stories of childhood to pass the time and distract each other. It was enough to encourage to hold on during the hardest times. She knew that Eric wasn't giving them any information either and she had to hold the line with him. No matter what. They'd promised that whatever it took, they were in it for the long haul. They'd back each other up and hold true to their word that they wouldn't give aid to Constantino.

It hadn't been an easy feat or simple task. Heather had been in the recent charge of Lee Davis. Decker Conroy had assigned him to be the one to interrogate her earlier that day. She could see why. His tactics were by far the most barbaric and he seemed to relish his task. There had been moments that she thought she'd lose her will. But somehow she'd kept her word and been able to stave off her fear. She'd cried to the point that she couldn't any longer from sheer exhaustion and having no more tears. She had no idea how much longer she could hold out but she'd decided to use the time she had now to talk herself up to the task ahead. She closed her eyes and remembered the faces of her students. Bright, smiling and hopeful. If she forgot all else she couldn't forget them.

Eric thought of Mary. He'd not allowed himself the luxury of missing her for weeks. He hadn't felt he'd deserved to. He'd been too long selfish and the cost had been too high. But now that he didn't know when he'd see her again he allowed himself the remembrance of the love he held for her. There was no way he could justify his part in the way things had played out but that he loved Mary was a fact that could not be denied. He hoped she was okay and trusted that his parents were true to their word and watching over her in his absence. His hope for her safety was so closely bound to his refusal to assist Constantino that he knew he wouldn't relent, no matter the cost to himself.

Two guards came down the corridor bearing a body on a stretcher covered in a blanket. Heather saw them out of the corner of her eye and was glad for the darkness of the corner in which she sat. She didn't want them to notice her. Eric turned and saw them as they passed.

"Another one" Eric whispered a hint of urgency in his voice.

"Yeah" she said her voice sounded far away.

"I wonder who it is."

"Kim... something" she replied, her voice a little shaky as tears welled up in her eyes.

"How do you know?" he asked, not really sure he wanted an answer.

"I was standing right next to her... when they did it" she answered as the tears spilled onto her cheeks and she stared at nothing in particular.

Eric heard her and closed his eyes with a frown. He didn't have anything to say to make that better and it didn't matter anyway, she wouldn't have heard.

Both of them were almost numb.

**_At Baileys..._**

"I can't believe we drank so much... again" Emily said as she looked at the empty bottle sitting on the table.

"If we don't get some water you'll believe it in a few hours" Jake said as he pulled himself up from the booth and headed over to the bar.

Bailey's was only populated by a few people at this late hour. Mary had left Jake in charge and gone home hours ago. He filled a pitcher with water and returned to the booth.

He poured the water in the glasses, set the pitcher down and leaned back in the booth. The alcohol induced haze he'd worked up to had been a welcome alternative to the mental frenzy he'd arrived in.

"Thanks" she said and sipped from her glass.

His only answer was a nod as he let out a sigh. He picked up his glass, drank half before placing it back on the table and laid down.

Emily did the same and laid back to stare at the ceiling. They remained thus for a while.

"It's nice" Jake said after many minutes passed.

"What is?" Emily asked as she was drawn out of her thoughts.

"Quiet" he replied with his eyes closed.

She looked over at him under the table, "Yeah. It is."

"You ever think about it?" he asked, his eyes still closed.

"What?" she noticed how his brow furrowed and he had his hands shoved in the pockets of his jacket.

"Everything that's happened."

"Of course."

"So what do you do?"

"Two things. Focus on the now and remember the best parts of the past."

"What about the future?" he asked and finally looked over.

"Every time I go there it doesn't end well. I try not to think that far into the future... keeps me from being disappointed" she said easily as their eyes met.

"Yeah. Me too" he replied recalling having said the same to Freddie once. That seemed like so long ago.

They went back to staring up at the ceiling and slipped back into companionable silence each glad for the others presence.


	6. Fragged

**A/N:** Thanks so much to everyone who's read and enjoyed. Even more thanks if you've had time enough to drop a comment. It means quite a lot and prompts me further down this road with these characters.

**Disclaimer (casual):** I totally don't own Jericho or any characters from the show. This is just my toybox & the only things I own are my own original characters. Wink

**Disclaimer (formal):** Jericho, all characters & canon fictional locations therein and associated trademarks are the sole intellectual property of CBS Paramount Television, CBS Studios, Inc., Junction Entertainment & Fixed Mark Prod. This work is not intended to infringe on the copyrights or trademarks held, but is solely a work of fan fiction and for diversion and amusement, not for profit.

* * *

**Title: Afterburn (Chapter 6/?)**

**Chapter 6: Fragged**

Heather was exhausted. More exhausted than she'd ever been. She opened her eyes and scanned the cell she'd been in for the last week or so, squinting at the sunlight from the window above. She hadn't so much fallen asleep as passed out a few hours earlier. The only thing that had been keeping her going was fear, anger and worry but even she'd had her limits.

Many of her cellmates were still asleep and she closed her eyes once again. Constantino and his men had convinced her that they were determined to break her between what they had done to her and the aftermath of what she saw they'd done to others.

Her wrists were bruised and chapped from where she'd been handcuffed to a chair for hours during interrogation and she pulled the sleeves of her sweat jacket down over them. That she hadn't told them anything was the only thing she could say was a success in her trip. At this point she wasn't even confident that the additional turbines Jericho needed were going to be delivered and she wondered how it had all gone so wrong. That she'd failed them was everpresent in her mind but she still wasn't going to aid anyone with the goal to harm them. Every day she was locked up was another day that Constantino's plan had to coalesce and refine. Another day that Jericho spent not knowing of or preparing for the storm that was approaching.

She took a deep breath and opened her eyes. She felt a cool breeze waft down from the window and across her face. She'd noticed the hole in the window not long after she'd been put in the cell and found out rather quickly that if she laid here the constant rush of air made her surroundings a little less foul. It also made it particularly cold but that helped to keep her alert when she needed to be so it wasn't so much a bad thing. She heard her cellmates begin to stir and knew that it wouldn't be long before the guards too would arrive. They'd come with food occasionally as extreme rationing was the law and prisoners were only to be fed enough to keep them from dying before they outlasted their use. She wondered how close she and Eric were getting to that line. In her time in New Bern, she'd been witness to more death than she cared for. She'd thought the hanging body at Black Jack was the worst thing she'd ever seen until she'd witnessed Constantino's regime flat out execute people in the street in front of City Hall. She'd been completely stunned and unable to move then but Ted had pulled her along and away. The thought that even worse had come made her shiver a little. She didn't want to think about any of it right now and she needed to concentrate on keeping herself together.

"Lisinski!" she head her name called.

She recognized the voice of the guard. When she sat up and looked over She even recognized him as Ellis Meacham. He was a year ahead of her in highschool, played football and had also been class president. They hadn't even remotely travelled in the same circles but she still couldn't believe that the boy he'd been and the man he was now were one in the same. She added him to the running list in her mind of things unrecognizable since her return.

"Rise and shine! The Chief wants to have a word. On your feet!" he barked at her.

She stood up, still saying nothing. She heard the cadence of footsteps approaching from the other end of the corridor and wondered what they would bring. She hadn't long to wait and steeled herself when Constantino and two other guards stepped into her range of view. His visage was as hard and unchanged as the last time she'd seen him two days before. Ellis unlocked her cell and opened the door.

"I just want you to know, that it didn't have to end this way, Heather" Constantino said as the guards walked toward her.

"What are you talking about?" she asked as they took hold of her and cuffed her hands behind her. She winced in pain.

"I offered you your out and you refused to help. That was how you could have redeemed yourself."

"I told you I wasn't going to help you murder people. No matter you do to me" she said and thought her voice sounded crumpled.

One guard pulled on her arm to encourage her to walk forward.

"That you have your principles and opinions on survival should serve you well and I hope offer you comfort in the next couple of hours" he said as she stepped out of the cell and stood before him.

"Why?"

"Supplies are tight, even water and I can't in good conscience, continue to use even that on traitors as uncooperative as yourself. In short, you've reached the end of your use and my patience" he said tightly then said to the guards, "Take her an hour outside of town, out by Brooks Farm and kill her. Leave her body as a marker."

"What?! No!" she tensed and twisted in protest. "Wait! You can't do this! You can't!"

The guards looked at one another and dragged her off with only a nod in response to Constantino. As she kept up her protest and proceeded down the corridor, she heard Eric's voice behind her calling to Constantino to stop his men and to his men to refuse carrying out another murder. She tried to turn to get away but was carried out of the detention area and through the door to the outside without much of a problem for the men in who's custody she found herself. The fullness of the sun's brightness practically blinded her and in concert with the panic that took hold of her at Constantino's verdict, Heather's head was spinning. Her pleas fell on deaf ears as she was roughly put into a truck with two other prisoners. She was then gagged and hooded the same way the other two had been. She heard the guards speaking to the men she'd been turned over to as they passed on Constantino's instructions. She felt the truck lurch forward and could only think that her worst fear was about to be realized.

By the time the truck stopped, she hadn't any more tears left to cry. The hood over her head was damp, her mouth dry and she felt more numb than anything. She'd never get to warn anyone in Jericho because she was about to be a roadside corpse billboard to make passersby wary of New Bern. She thought of her students and friends unsuspectingly going about their days until the final moment of Constantino's strike and how it was very like what had befallen all the people in the cities that were bombed back in September. The tears she had cried had been for them as much as herself and the words she repeated over in her head were of apology and sorrow. She'd failed them. She'd failed all of them and now she couldn't see even a glimmer of hope. No one was coming to save her this time and she hadn't the tools to save herself.

The doors to the truck opened and Heather could hear the other two prisoners taken out of the truck. The doors were closed and she was left inside. The gags were removed from the others and she heard their voices. They were males and she could hear their pleas for mercy. She froze as she listened and waited. And in the middle of the escalating voices she heard the shots ring out followed by the sound of the bodies falling to the ground and then silence. The next moment the door nearest her opened and she heard a voice speaking to her. She was sure she was next.

"Don't worry. We're not going to kill you." the voice said to her and again the door closed.

Heather wondered if she should believe in the reprieve or consider if it was just a cruel trick. Minutes passed and she heard nothing. She wondered if she'd been left and forgotten. She started to feel confident that maybe everything could turn out alright and possibly she'd be able to get home and tell Mayor Anderson, former Mayor Green and the others of the New Bern plan and even save Eric. If she could do that then all of this would have been worth it.

When the doors opened to the truck again, the guards climbed back in but said nothing to her. The truck started again and pulled off. She could tell that they were driving on in the same direction and not turning back to New Bern but she couldn't figure out where they were going. She was sure though, that nothing was going to be as bad as having been faced with the threat of certain death.

"I'm going to be okay. It's all going to be okay" she told herself and tried to calm down.

After about a half an hour the truck pulled over and stopped. Heather wondered where they were and what was going to happen next. She didn't feel as much anxiety as she had previously but she wasn't completely at ease either. The door opened and her hood was raised slightly.

"Thirsty?" the same voice that had assured her she wasn't going to be killed asked.

"Yes" she replied, her voice barely audible.

She hadn't anything to drink in almost a day. He held up a bottle of water to her lips and she drank quickly. As she drank the cool liquid down, she hoped it would alleviate the headache she had even if just a little. She thought how it was a nice touch that the water had a lemony flavor as well.

"Thanks"

"You're welcome. More?" he offered.

She tried to remember if she recognized his voice from her time in lockup but she couldn't place it.

"Please" she replied and drank the rest. "Thank you. Really."

"It's no problem" he said and pulled her hood back down and closed the door.

He got back into the truck and once again they pulled onto the road.

Heather sat back and thought of Eric. She hoped he was okay and not worried about her unnecessarily. She was concerned about him and hoped that the sentence Constantino had issued her would not be extended to Eric. She considered that Eric could be more valuable ultimately than herself and that gave her some measure of comfort. Having connections to people and family were sometimes an asset that couldn't be denied. Being Mayor Green's son could help him in the end and for that she was hopeful.

She wanted him to be returned to the family that loved him and also to Mary. She thought about how happy they'd be when he returned and wanted that for him more than anything. She was familiar with the loss of loved ones and she didn't wish that on anyone. For a moment she wished she still had a family waiting for her but she quickly pushed that aside. The knowledge that her friends were her de facto family was usually enough. She was following a train of thought and lost it. She tried to remember what she was thinking about but she couldn't reclaim it. She wasn't usually like that but she realized that she'd been under a lot of stress and hadn't had a decent night's sleep in longer than she cared to recall. Before she could think any further she was completely overcome and as her head lolled to the side, she lost consciousness.

When Heather awoke hours later, she was fairly disoriented and didn't know where she was or how she came to be there. She looked around the dimly lit room in an attempt to identify her location. She tried to sit up and realized she was tethered by cuffs on her wrists which were attached to chains on the bed on which she was laying. A sense of dread came over her with a memory and two words came to mind.

'Black Jack!'

_**Ten days later...**_

60 Miles away from Jericho

State Route 37

On a deserted road in a Yellow Flag zone an army convoy came upon a single car wreck. In the afternoon sun, it's clear from a good distance away that there were bodies in the road. This sort of thing had become the norm and so had the verification of the dead.

There were tire marks on the road in a long lead up to where it was clear the car had skidded off the road. It was overturned and its passengers were strewn about. The soldiers stepped out of their military Humvees with guns drawn because one could never be too careful and approached. They fanned out around the car and began checking on the victims. All were dead except one.

"This one's alive!" Cpl. Hicks called to the others when he came across a young woman lying on the ground.

She was still breathing and had a pulse but was unconscious. As the medic ran forward, Hicks smiled. It wasn't often that they had happy endings and the discovery of even one survivor was enough to make it a good day.

One medic checked her vitals while two others secured her and got her onto a transport stretcher. They moved quickly and ran back to their truck. They were sent ahead with two Hummers from the convoy. The rest would stay and take care of the remains of the incident. In the meantime, the life of the young woman gave them all a hope they hadn't felt for weeks.

Hicks climbed back into the Hummer and turned to the driver, "Let's go Private Dobbs! Camp Liberty awaits and the medics have a patient that needs help!"

Dobbs answered in the affirmative and pulled out onto the main of the road. Camp Liberty was still a way off and no one knew what the rest of the road held for them.

In the medical truck, Heather remained unconscious as Medic Taylor ran an intravenous line on her. Her pulse was thready and she felt feverish most likely in part due to dehydration. She kept checking her patient's vital statistics and praying that nothing internal was terribly wrong that would render her dead between then and their arrival at Camp Liberty. She'd had enough people die on her recently and just wanted to deliver someone back to safety in better shape than that in which they were found.

"You're going to be okay. We're all going to be okay" she told her unconscious patient and checked her blood pressure once again before checking her IV line.


	7. Between Syllabi

**A/N:** Okay, just so everyone knows, this is an Emily chapter. I promise, it's important to the story and please know that I'm trying to build her character because there's not so much to work with from the show. I'm not going to promise we'll feel the love we feel for Heather, but maybe just maybe I can bump her up to a "love to hate" character from an "I don't care" character. Just bear with me guys & know that Chapter 8 is being worked on now. ;)

**Disclaimer (casual):** I totally don't own Jericho or any characters from the show. This is just my toybox & the only things I own are my own original characters. :D

**Disclaimer (formal):** Jericho, all characters & canon fictional locations therein and associated trademarks are the sole intellectual property of CBS Paramount Television, CBS Studios, Inc., Junction Entertainment & Fixed Mark Prod. This work is not intended to infringe on the copyrights or trademarks held, but is solely a work of fan fiction and for diversion and amusement, not for profit.

* * *

**Title: Afterburn (Chapter 7/?)**

**Chapter 7: Between Syllabi**

When Emily headed over to Town Hall she'd hoped she'd run into Jake on her way. She'd put off her job long enough and decided she needed to get back to it or forget it altogether. It was the first day in quite a few that she hadn't been hungover when she awoke and that was impetus enough to get moving. Directly following the bombings classes had been temporarily suspended but had resumed within a few weeks. At least officially. The number of students regularly showing up for classes had been on a steep and steady decline. For the students who lived outside of the center of town, that was understandable but even the numbers of those in the adjacent neighborhoods had declined at an alarming rate.

Emily recalled how Heather had been quite good at encouraging and convincing her students parents of the importance of structure for the elementary aged children but different arguments needed to be employed for older children. For the most part the teachers of the highschool students were working against the argument that other things were more important than sitting in a classroom post bombings. Emily understood the practicality of the argument but still thought that letting go of education so easily couldn't be a good thing ultimately. It seemed to her that knowledge of history and literature would be even more valuable with all that had happened and could well happen still. The argument had persuaded some parents but not enough to fill the classrooms at JHS so they'd been downsized to holding classes in Town Hall. She had History and English, Anne Perry had Maths and Music and Daniel Hall had the Sciences. His courses had been the clinchers really. He had been working with Heather before she'd gone to New Bern on making syllabi that would lean more toward the current situation for students. They'd come up with teaching practical chemistry like making aspirin, soap and detergents and candles along with applied mechanics, physics, botany and agriculture with a refurbished greenhouse near the Jericho Library.

Emily had her history lesson plan down but was still working out which book to assign her students for English and how to make them care, when she came across Jake. He too was heading into town and easily fell into step with her. That they were very nearly there didn't matter so much to her but she did enjoy his company. When he offered to carry her bag, she handed it over with a smile and a distinct feeling of deja vu. Sixteen years changed many things but she enjoyed the bubble they seemed to exist in when they were together. They parted ways when they were nearly at Town Hall after Jimmy came up needing to speak to Jake but she was sure she'd meet up with him again later at Bailey's. It had sort of become their thing. Again.

She was glad to have the student turnout that she had but that was short lived when her lesson plan fizzled and her students were ready to leave for things they'd decided were more pressing. She found she hadn't a convincing counter and considered that she had blown off teaching for a good many days because she just didn't want to be bothered. She accepted their leaving with ease and wished she had been more of a leader and less of a loner in her life. She had no problem doing whatever came into her mind and never needed anyone to follow her or cared if they did but as a teacher, that didn't serve her very well. She'd enjoyed being the cool teacher that was laid back and more like a peer than a problem to her students, but even before the bombings she was starting to want more. To be more. As she started stacking texts she figured that would never happen.

And then there was Allie Hawkins. Her newest student stayed behind and it was quickly clear that it wasn't because she was so interested in the history lesson, she simply needed someone to talk to. Emily understood that need deeply and when she drew the girl out in conversation it felt more natural than any class she'd ever taught. They talked the whole of what would have been class time and when they came to the end both were better for it.

"Well, you should get out of here" Emily said with a smile and checked her watch as they sat crosslegged on desks across from one another.

"Yeah. Thanks... for the talk. It was the best history lesson I've had in a while" Allie laughed as she unraveled and hopped down.

"No problem. Thanks for talking to me. If you ever need someone to talk to, I'm here."

"With my family, I may take you up on that" Allie nodded with a smile and put on her jacket, "Does this mean I can skip reading that chapter in the book?"

"Ah, no" Emily chuckled. "It's the first thing on the agenda for next class. You can be the star student when everyone else is clueless. And if you're my only student I'll only have you to focus on" she said with a tease in her warning.

"Okay, I'm on it" Allie smiled and feigned being put upon, "See ya' later Ms. Sullivan."

Emily uncrossed her legs and smiled to herself. It'd turned into a better day than she could have planned. She considered that she'd done something more important than teaching facts in a text, she'd helped her student with her issues. That Allie had responded and opened up meant a lot to her. That she would be coming back to her class and would read the assigned work was far beyond Emily's expectations.

As she finished putting the books away and cleaning the board she realized that she'd needed to talk to. Hearing Allie talk about her problems with her family reminded her so much of her own issues as a teen and even in the present. She'd told Allie that her own family was now gone but that wasn't entirely true. She'd tried to push Jonah's exile into the back of her mind, in the same class as her mother and Chris. It didn't work so well and especially after talking with Allie and hearing her explain about how her relationship with her father was complicated, Emily thought of Jonah. After everything, she missed him. She always missed him.

She'd considered the irony before that just about every man with whom she'd had close dealings eventually wound up in some sort of exile situation from Jericho. First Jake, though self imposed, he couldn't actually have stayed. Jonah, for sins of the past and running afoul of Gray. And last, Roger, to secure the safety of others and running afoul of Gray. She wondered if she weren't a lightning rod for some sort of chaos. No matter who it was, she was always left behind. Things never really finished or closed in those situations and many things were left unresolved.

She fiddled with the engagement ring on her finger and wondered why she was still wearing it. For all her pragmatism Emily had a problem with closure and the men in her life. She looked down at her hand and recalled Roger's proposal, all champagne, caviar and Lake Como as the backdrop. It was so perfect and she'd been so happy.

She shook her head, "Yeah, should have known that wouldn't come off."

She slid the ring off her finger with a sigh and put it into her back pocket. She'd put it in it's box and pack it away with everything else that would have been when she returned home. She grabbed her coat and bag and headed out. It had been a better day than most but she still longed for something to take her mind off of weightier issues and of late Jake had been just the remedy she'd needed.

She didn't wind up staying at Bailey's very long much to her surprise. She nursed one drink and decided to bail. While she'd been waiting for Jake to arrive her thoughts had returned to Jonah and wondering if he was okay. In some ways she knew better than to worry. He was always okay. He just had a knack for landing on his feet no matter how desperate the situation. That he'd cut it so close the last time he was in Jericho scared her but on some level, she'd always known he'd be alright. It was just who he was. She spent a lot of time furious with him for choices he'd made but she had to admit that she never doubted that he loved her. And she loved him. Most of her railing against him had been as much about publicly distancing herself from him as it had been about getting back at him for the pain he'd cause her. There weren't many things and even fewer people that could truly get to him, but she could fill both bills and she had often. Still and all he was her father and she could no more deny her connection to Jericho than she could her connection to him. He was her family, for worse and always. On her walk home she decided that she would find a way to get in touch with him even though she didn't know exactly how or when.

The next morning she made her way into town around noon, since she didn't have to teach that day. Mary was behind the bar but seemed a little less than her usual self.

"Hey" Emily greeted as she sat down "You okay?"

"No. I'm really not" she said shakily.

"What is it?"

"The men came back from New Bern this morning... but not Eric."

"Oh Mary, I'm really sorry."

"Stanley said he wasn't ready to come back but then..." her voice broke and trailed off as her tears began to fall.

"It's going to be okay, Mary. Really" Emily leaned over to console her with a hug.

"I don't think so. I think something's really wrong. Jake's gone off to New Bern with Mr. Hawkins."

"Seriously?" she asked truly surprised.

"Yeah. He thinks something's happened to Eric" Mary managed and wiped fresh tears from her eyes.

"What about Heather?" Emily asked, realizing that she hadn't thought much about her best friend for some time.

"She didn't come back but... I don't know. It doesn't sound like anyone knows what's going on with her either."

"Well, if Jake's gone there, he'll bring them back." Emily reassured her and told herself to believe it too.

She worried for Jake and thought about Heather possibly being in danger. She knew that Heather had come to the conclusion that she and Jake weren't going to be and had all but told him so before they left for Black Jack. Emily knew this was in no small part due to her conversations with Heather and her making it clear that she had extensive knowledge of the inner workings of Jake. In short, she'd given Heather the impression that not only was Jake of a kind that Heather had no knowledge, he was the sort that she couldn't understand or ultimately trust. In many ways, Emily actually believed that. She'd had her own trust issues with Jake but their history was one of those things that sort of blurred the lines no matter the facts of a situation. It's what made it so simple for them to fall back into "them" like no time had passed.

Emily couldn't see Heather's sensibilities not being put seriously off kilter by who Jake was and what he'd done. And even if she could, he would inevitably show her who he truly was eventually and the end result would be the same. Even so, Emily couldn't help but feel a little apprehensive about Heather's return. In all honesty, she had to admit that while she and Jake had spent a lot of time together, she couldn't call where they were really "back together" in fact he seemed to have been holding back if anything since Roger had gone. This had surprised her a little but she attributed some of it to the fact that she'd still worn her engagement ring thus possibly making her feelings less than clear. She'd figured that Jake's interest in Heather was nothing more than a passing fascination but she still didn't like the feeling she got when she thought of them together. When it came to Jake, she'd never really worried about competition and she wasn't in the mood to start now, especially pitted against her best friend.


	8. Fallen By The Wayside

**A/N: **Thanks so much for the comments SarahSoph! I've still ideas a plenty and need only the time to get it all down in a coherent manner. Chapter 9 up soon.

**Disclaimer (casual):** I totally don't own Jericho or any characters from the show. This is just my toybox & the only things I own are my own original characters.

**Disclaimer (formal):** Jericho, all characters & canon fictional locations therein and associated trademarks are the sole intellectual property of CBS Paramount Television, CBS Studios, Inc., Junction Entertainment & Fixed Mark Prod. This work is not intended to infringe on the copyrights or trademarks held, but is solely a work of fan fiction and for diversion and amusement, not for profit.

* * *

**Title: Afterburn (Chapter 8/?)**

**Chapter 8: Fallen By The Wayside**

Heather lay in the medical unit at Camp Liberty in isolation and still unconscious. After she'd arrived the medical team had been very thorough with her care.

"How is she?" the young physician's assistant asked the attending physician entering the room.

Dr. Kelleher read over some papers she had while crossing the room to her patient's bedside, "All things considered, Jane Doe 040207-21 is absolutely fantastic. Her CT is clear. No major damage and only a mid-grade concussion."

"Awesome. She had a couple gashes and some imbedded glass in her scalp but I got those out no problem and cleaned up the wounds. All superficial."

"Her temperature though... that's still high and not going down." she checked the IV and the chart. " Intake and output are good, so at least that's something."

"Do you think it's Hudson River?" he asked a bit anxious.

Camp Liberty was his second assignment since signing up and he'd heard about the virus and what it did to people who'd contracted it. It killed quick and dirty. He'd seen photos of patients plagued with it and had thought it couldn't have killed quickly enough for the damage it'd done. He'd seen enough of the aftermath of the bombings in the last few months that he'd been inclined to sign up for Jennings & Rall's civilian medical attachés to work alongside the military but he didn't really want to see any more dying if he could help it.

This Jane Doe had brought much hope with her. She arrived at the same time a truck with the recently deceased was being loaded to ship out. The young man thought he'd not forget that image for a long time to come and would do all he could to make sure that neither she nor anyone else he was responsible for wound up on an outbound truck in a bag.

"Let's hope not. But until we know, let's keep her in ISO. Do some blood draws and we'll see what we see."

Camp Liberty hadn't any outbreaks of Hudson River Virus but just about every other military base had. Everyone at Liberty had been vaccinated and as a precaution they'd set up a system of quarantine for people who were brought there. That Heather had arrived with a fever, unconscious and unable to tell them anything about where she'd been and who she'd come into contact with, necessitated they immediately place her in isolation.

"What do you make of these?" he asked indicating the scars and marks on Heather's wrists.

"I'm not so sure I want to think about it. Let's just be glad she wasn't dead like the rest, Jennings" she replied, handing him the chart and walked out.

He nodded and took one more look at his patient. He grabbed the tubes, did her blood draws quickly & marked them to get them to the lab as soon as possible. If all her tests came back negative she could be vaccinated like everyone else and that made him feel a little better.

He marveled at how chance had played out for so many people, even himself. Had he not been in Cheyenne on the day of the bombings he would have been in Seattle and would have perished. He and his father had gone on a fishing trip earlier in the week and had only arrived home a few hours before the attacks began. He'd worried for his mother who lived in New York and his sister who was in college in Boston but visiting friends in Columbus during the attacks and had been somewhat relieved when word came that neither of those cities had been attacked. After all that had happened in the last few months, he'd still heard nothing about either of them but he held hope that they were okay and trying to get home. That they'd wound up in what had effectively become another country was troublesome and that even his father had been unsuccessful in finding them was most alarming. With no word on them and the knowledge that all his friends were gone, Marc Jennings was even more glad he'd come back when he had. It had been a proud moment for him when he signed up with the medical contracting group of his father's company. He couldn't think of anything more important than being a part of the assistance that J&R was offering or happier to carry the name.

"Hang in there, Jane. You're in good hands. There are lots of good people working to make sure everything works out and we're all okay" he reassured the unconscious woman and turned to leave.

**Town Hall, Jericho...**

_"Is she dead Jake?" Emily asked urgently. _

_She searched his face and tried to look into his eyes but couldn't connect._

_He didn't answer. His voice left him and he couldn't look at her. Anguish played out on his face_

_"Jake? Is she dead?!" she asked again._

_She needed to know. Ever since Chris, finality was one of those things she'd grown accustomed to. His death had been her trial by fire and proved to her that she could bear any other loss with a certain measure of expectancy. _

The mortars that rained down on Jericho heralding the beginning of the New Bern attack effectively ended their discussion. It was just as well, Jake hadn't the will to answer Emily or the ability to process the possibility of Heather's demise. He still didn't want to believe what Eric had told him. He'd wanted to believe it was just another of Constantino's lies. But even he'd had his doubts given the lengths Constantino had been willing to employ in the torture of Eric. It was as if the man had lost all conscience and he couldn't believe he'd been a friend of his father's in the past. And through all they'd gone through to make it back to Jericho, Heather was never far from his thoughts. He'd missed her and had planned on saying many things to her when she came back. He didn't want to add her to the list in his head of fallen friends no matter how likely.

He'd worried about how Emily would take the news that her best friend was in trouble and possibly some tragic end had befallen her but Emily had asked the question that it hurt him to hear. The words fell out of her mouth and stabbed his heart. He'd cringed at the thought and slightly recoiled when he'd heard the question. Each time the subject came up his hope eroded a little more.

The thing that made it even harder was that Heather was caught trying to do something to save Jericho. It only served to remind him of the kind of heart she had. From the ice she'd made in aid of saving his father, to her coming up with the turbine idea & going all the way to Black Jack & back to New Bern, she'd displayed a level of courage that he was in awe of. He fell into situations and did seemingly heroic things but he didn't think of himself as a hero. But Heather, she charged into her quests to help others fully knowing what she was doing. She volunteered her help and now she may have paid the ultimate price for Jericho. He really wanted to believe that his actions had no bearing on her decision to leave but no matter her explanations when last they spoke, the thought remained in the back of his mind.

But he didn't have time for his thoughts. There were things to do and things to get done. So he did what he was expert at, he pushed it aside and got on. Whatever had become of Heather would be something he'd have to think on at another time. As the town exploded around them he tucked away his fears. When he looked over and noticed Emily on the floor next to him he panicked a little inside. He couldn't loose her too and the urgency in his voice asking if she was okay was as much about her well being as his sanity. After he was satisfied she was alright he headed outside to lend aid to anyone in need. The mortars falling made one thing clear, all hell was breaking loose and war with New Bern was knocking on Jericho's door.

**Camp Liberty, NE...**

A shortage of staff meant that lab results took a little longer than they normally would, so to keep from harassing and pissing off the pretty lab tech Cassie, that he'd been flirting back and forth with, Marc decided to go to the J&R communications tent and check his e-mail. All the employees were allowed two hours a day in computer time but he didn't go every day and never stayed the entire two hours time. It had been very important to him that everyone else saw that he wasn't just the boss's slacker kid and was just as hard working as the rest of them. That usually meant that he worked longer and harder than anyone else but he didn't mind.

He was just glad to be there and had taken it as something of an accomplishment that he'd managed to keep his father from interfering in his being assigned outside of Wyoming. He'd understood his father's reticence but he'd been just as adamant that he be treated just like anyone else who worked for J&R and that there were plenty of people who'd lost a lot more than he had who were sacrificing all kinds of things to do all they could to help others. He'd won in the end but had agreed to making sure to check in with his father via e-mail every couple of days.

Just as he sat down at a computer and logged in his pager vibrated. He had only a minute to send his father a message and log back off before running back to the medical tents. When he arrived Dr. Kelleher met him on her way out of the isolation tent.

"It's okay, Jennings. Your Jane Doe woke up briefly. She's settled down but her fever seems to have gotten the best of her for now" she told him.

"Did she say anything?" he asked genuinely happy she'd stirred at all.

"She said all kinds of random things but nothing telling us who she is before she went under again. Her fever's holding and not going down. Still, it's a good sign." she replied and lit a cigarette.

"Yeah."

"Looks like her test results are in" she said with a nod over his shoulder before taking another drag of her cigarette.

Marc turned to see Cassie heading his way with lab results in hand and a smile on her face.

"Hope it's good news" he said and went to meet her.


	9. The Fittest

**A/N: **Sorry this one took a little longer than usual. I think there's something akin to Husdon River Virus running through my home at the moment. I apparently let my guard down while taking care of the hubs and it caught me too. Please note this chapter was written under the influence of NyQuil and while I have read through it multiple times and it makes sense to me, please accept my apologies if there are any major gaffes along the way. :-\

**Disclaimer (casual):** I totally don't own Jericho or any characters from the show. This is just my toybox & the only things I own are my own original characters.

**Disclaimer (formal):** Jericho, all characters & canon fictional locations therein and associated trademarks are the sole intellectual property of CBS Paramount Television, CBS Studios, Inc., Junction Entertainment & Fixed Mark Prod. This work is not intended to infringe on the copyrights or trademarks held, but is solely a work of fan fiction and for diversion and amusement, not for profit.

* * *

**Title: Afterburn (Chapter 9/?)**

**Chapter 9: The Fittest**

When Emily arrived home she carried her rifle upstairs with her. When the weapons were passed out in town she had accepted with hardly a thought. She'd been with Jake throughout the entire day and it was one more moment she could share with him, so she had. It wasn't that she didn't have good reason to want to protect Jericho as her home, but she was becoming more at ease with the fact that her ties to it were more symbolic than actual and that Jake specifically and the Greens in general were largely tied up in that as well.

She reached her bedroom and leaned the rifle against the wall. She pulled off her clothes and discarded them as she headed for her bathroom and didn't care that the water was going to be cold. Just being able to wash off the road grime from the day was enough. She still had some of the liquid lavender soap that Heather had made her for Christmas and as she poured it into the tub, she thought of her friend. It occurred to her that Jake had never answered her question and she took his reticence to answer as being due to him seeking to shield her from a horrible truth. She and Heather had only known one another a few years but she had been the best female friend she'd ever had.

She thought about when they'd met and remembered that initially, she'd been a bit taken aback by Heather. She hadn't ever met as guileless and open a person as her. She found her to be outgoing and sweet and absolutely not the kind of woman Emily would have been friends with in highschool, college or beyond. But this was Jericho & so many people knew who Emily spawned from, that she didn't make friends very easily. That Heather wasn't from Jericho or given to gossip made her the perfect friend. Emily had been surprised to find that she was in awe of and somewhat intimidated by Heather when she realized how smart she was, especially in relation to her humility and deference. But her quick sense of humor was the thing that had really won her over. She noticed how easily Heather got on with people and how her students adored her and wished she'd had that ability. She may not have been popular when she was younger but she was much beloved in Jericho, a thing that still alluded Emily.

She finished her bath, dried off and pulled on a long sleeved tee and sweatpants before climbing into bed. She wanted to cry for her friend but found that she wasn't able to. It wasn't for lack of a feeling of loss or missing Heather though, she just couldn't. Like somewhere inside her center was leaden and her emotions couldn't surface. She couldn't feel much of anything of late and the only times of real feeling she had were when she was around Jake. It had been part of the reason she'd accompanied he and Mr. Hawkins earlier that day out on the road. She'd wanted to help but being with Jake was also reminiscent of old times they'd shared. It not only took her back to a time when she felt alive it reminded her that she was still. She used to, on occasion, accompany him on his mischief runs and she'd found it altogether exhilarating. She also recalled how they used to screw like mad after some of the runs Jake made for Jonah. It was all adrenaline and danger and she'd loved every minute of it. When he'd gone she'd tucked away those memories and told herself that she wasn't that person any longer but she didn't believe that so much now.

Her mind drifted off to how stunned she was when Jonah shot the New Bern man earlier. It brought her back to reality and it wasn't pretty. It was clear that he didn't have to kill him but he had anyway. In the moment the shock of it all tore her recent memories of Jonah away. His having given her Jake's car when Johnston was ill, the moments before he left her home after having been attacked by Mitchell and his assurance to her that Jake still loved her. She'd thought of Roger and the life they'd shared and of her aunt, her mother and her and Chris' childhood. Of how she'd always wanted people to like her but never wanted to show it. How she'd grown up and accustomed to whispers behind her back and people just waiting for her to be her father's daughter. How she'd wanted to stay in Jericho to show all those people that she was just as good as them no matter what family she'd come from and keeping a certain adoration of her father to herself. How Jake had been her touchstone and even at his most chaotic someone she could rely on when everything else was falling down around her. How she had blamed him for Chris' death. Both of them. But in the end, she knew it wasn't really that she held them solely responsible, it was that she'd felt culpable as well. She'd been right there with Jake when he worked for Jonah. Hell, she'd celebrated his homecoming from Embry with particular zest because she could count on him returning and resuming the life he'd set aside when he'd gone off to college. It'd been like a party and a dream until Chris died and she wasn't just upset about her brother's demise, she was upset that the party had ended. She'd counted on Jake to keep Chris safe and Chris had died. It reminded her of the promise she'd made to her mother and that she herself had failed to keep Chris out of harm's way. It made her ill to think about and all she had was her anger and the wherewithall to direct it at Jake and Jonah. And she pushed and they stayed away.

And then they'd come back. She'd found herself able to let go of her overt hostility toward them both even if she couldn't completely forgive any of them for the parts they'd played. So when he told her she was _just a school teacher_, she knew that wasn't quite true. And when he told her there was more of him in her than she'd ever admit, she knew that was absolutely true. Her mother used to tell her the same thing, that she had Jonah's heart and tendencies. His penchant for survival against all odds and to all extremes. She'd become so accomplished at pushing the truth of that aside that at some point she believed otherwise. But in the moment that Jonah shot that man, she knew it as clearly as she knew her name. She was indeed shocked by what he'd done and she had been horrified by it on some level. But she'd also understood him and why he did it. And she began to wonder if the reason that she and Jonah had outlived her mother and Chris wasn't to be found somewhere in that understanding. Those thoughts proved to be most disturbing to her and she hadn't wanted to think long on them at all.

She wondered how he could realize she was so like him but still underestimate her as just a school teacher. She supposed everyone needed their veils to view from time to time. She'd lost a friend and gained a little clarity in the same day and both of those things would not allow her to drift off so easily into sleep.

**Camp Liberty, NE...**

Marc pulled himself out of his bunk in one of the J&R contractor trailers. He'd gone to bed only a few hours earlier after a long evening of working on patients. He'd been glad of finding out that his Jane Doe was not suffering from Hudson River Virus but that had been short lived having found out that they'd lost one patient and none of the returning military convoys had brought back any other survivors that day. He went through the motions of his morning routine preoccupied with plans and practicalities and didn't take notice of much around him until he found himself standing in line and being handed a cup of coffee in the J&R commissary by a staffer.

"Good morning, Mr. Jennings."

The greeting brought him out of his thoughts as he accepted the cup and returned the pleasantry. He'd almost looked over his shoulder for his father when he'd heard it. He'd gotten most people to simply call him by his first name or just "Jennings" so he still wasn't used to such a formal reference. He sat down to breakfast and glanced over at the television. The 24-hour Cheyenne based station, CAP news, was on and though the volume was down, he could read the ticker at the bottom of the screen. Captions of the recovery and reconstruction were mixed in with death tolls and civil unrest. There was hardly ever a mention of the plight of Americans east of the Mississippi and that worried him. It felt at times that they'd been altogether forgotten though they'd suffered the worst of the attacks. The possible fate of his sister and mother crossed his mind and he lost his appetite. He exited the commissary after dumping his tray of uneaten food in the trash can, coffee in hand. As he traversed the camp he remembered how his father had always taught him that incremental and steady changes in the right direction were the key to solving monumental tasks and having the fortitude to be a servant to the process was what separated the leaders from the rest. He couldn't think of a more monumental task than rebuilding the nation and was glad his father was one of the people at the helm. And while he hadn't as large and looming tasks he endeavored to keep his head in the game and do his job. Half-assery wasn't going to help his patients and he owed them his full attention.

The sun had yet to rise as he headed for the medical tents. His first priority was to check on his Jane Doe and see how she'd fared overnight. He entered the tent and checked the board. He smiled when he saw her designation written in blue. She'd been downgraded. It was a great way to begin the day. He headed through the tent to check on her. When he arrived he was somewhat disappointed that she wasn't awake but after checking her overnights and taking a look at her then, he was happy enough. He smiled and signed off on her next course of meds and the order for having her moved from the isolation unit. They'd found that she was suffering from a bad case of flu and while she still needed to be sequestered from other patients, she didn't need to be completely isolated as she had been since her arrival. They'd treated her symptoms and it looked to be paying off because he found her temperature was lower than it had been. Her fever wasn't broken but it was a step in the right direction.

"Great job, Jane. Now how about waking up and telling me who you are?" he queried his unconscious patient with a smile, "No? Figured I'd ask. No pressure though. Whenever you're ready."

He scribbled a few other things down and replaced her chart before leaving the room. Cassie met him when he exited.

"Hey" she greeted him with a warm smile.

She walked up as the sun rose from behind tents in the distance.

"Hey" he smiled back, glad to see her.

How's your Jane?

"She's great. Getting better all the time"

"Glad to hear it" she said, "I think you're kinda' falling for her."

"Nah. It's nothing like that. It's just..." he stopped short as he noticed a truck arrive in front of the morgue tent.

"Yeah" Cassie replied with a sigh as she watched the truck line up for loading.

They didn't stay to watch. They'd seen it enough to know it by heart and too many times to count. They walked along silently and remained so when they arrived at the med supply tent. They slipped wordlessly behind a row of shelves and let it all fade temporarily into the background and instead focused only on the distraction and temporary release of one body against another. They still didn't speak when they were done and dressing and when they parted ways outside the tent neither needed the other to issue a platitude or acknowledgment because each of them knew what it was. A brief reminder that they'd survived, that they were still alive.

**General Medical Unit, Camp Liberty, NE...**

Heather had been moved from the isolation unit and placed in a room in general medical while her room was being readied. She was left alone a bit longer than usual so there was no one around when she began to wake.

For days her dreams had been fragmented and strange and she hadn't been able to distinguish between the faces in her dreams versus those she saw in brief waking moments. At times she'd thought she was at home in Jericho, other times she could have sworn she was back in New Bern with her grandparents. No matter where she found herself she knew she had something urgent that she needed to say and she tried but she always lost her voice somewhere along the way. So when she heard the steady beep from nearby she wondered what it was and why it was being allowed to go on.

'I should get up and turn that off' she thought to herself and turned her head in the direction of the sound.

She sighed deeply and frowned a little as she turned her head back. Her eyes fluttered open and she froze momentarily. She had good reason to feel a bit of fear in the pit of her stomach as memories of places she'd woken up recently came back to her. She looked around tentatively at her surroundings and was wary as she didn't know where she was or who else was here. She sat up, taking note of her attire and climbed down from the gurney. As she moved she noticed that she felt some aches here and there and her head hurt a bit but for the most part, she wouldn't complain. She hadn't time. After looking around and being relatively satisfied that she was alone, she took a few steps forward. She wasn't sure if she was safe or not but she was prepared to run if necessary. She continued forward carefully and pulled back the clear plastic flaps that separated the main of the room from a sort of foyer and she realized she was inside a tent. When she pulled the green canvass back, the sunlight blinded her momentarily and she used her hand to shield her eyes to get a better view. What she saw stunned her.

A military issue Hummer passed her by and helicopters flew overhead as she looked out on what she could only imagine was a large military camp or base of operations. The sight of soldiers with weapons reminded her of her time in New Bern but she pushed her fear and unease aside. She told herself that this wasn't that and she needed their help for home. She could hardly believe it and wondered how she'd come to be here. She noticed a group of soldiers standing together and headed toward them to find out who she needed to speak with to make aware of the situation in Jericho. She just hoped it wasn't too late.

When questioned, one of the soldiers pointed her in the direction of Col. Hoffman. She plead her case but he wasn't so interested. She told him what New Bern was going to do to Jericho and that Jericho hadn't the ability to defend themselves against it, that they needed the intervention of the military to survive. He remained unmoved. She was undeterred and eventhough the Colonel. had dismissed her this time, she had no problem with persistence. If it meant she needed to explain a dozen different ways twenty different times, she would. Because nothing else mattered more than getting Jericho the help they needed. It's what she'd been trying to get all this time and now that she'd been dropped in the midst of a military force with more might than New Bern, she couldn't let that be for naught.

"I'm just an employee, ma'am. I don't make the decisions" he said finally, "Caspar, make sure she gets back to the medical unit."

Before she could issue further protest or plea the soldier stepped forward and took her by the arm to return her to the med unit.

"Colonel!" she called over her shoulder as she was taken across.

He watched her as she went. He'd been a military man for years enough that he had long passed the point where he believed the people at the top never operated with their heads up their asses or necessarily in the best interest of the people who needed the help most. It'd made him cynical over time and he'd found that even he hadn't been immune to the politics that played out in certain situations. It made him sick, especially since all that had happened since September. They'd been all over the grid putting out disputes between groups and factions that had taken hold and quelled more than a few riots, so he was sure the young woman knew exactly what she was talking about. Two more towns in another dispute, one heavily armed against the other was only going to mean high casualties and more instability in the area. He and his troops didn't need any more of that and he knew it was better to intervene earlier than later.

The medic placed a bandage on his arm and Col. Hoffman stood and pulled on his jacket. He checked his watch and sighed. He had a video conference with the heads of Homeland Security and the DoD in a fifteen minutes and he couldn't be late. He'd already made the decision to tell them of the situation in Kansas between Jericho and New Bern. He didn't have sole confidence that his orders would be changed as a consequence but he'd do what he could.

Back in the medical tent, Heather was hardly settled and more than a bit agitated. The soldier had delivered her to a nurse in the unit and asked her to keep Heather there before he stepped out. She turned and was about to ask the recently awake Jane Doe her name when Marc walked into the tent. Heather noticed the look of surprise on his face.

"You're up!" he said with a smile.

Her being up and mobile was even better than being simply awake.

"Yes" Heather replied tentatively, to the young man in scrubs.

"She's been out talking to Col. Hoffman apparently" the nurse interjected.

"Well, that's a hell of a way to start your first day back in the land of the conscious" he began, "Would you mind coming through, so we can talk for a minute?"

Heather hesitated and looked warily at him.

"Okay. It's okay. How about if we sit over there. I just need to ask you a few questions" he countered when he noticed her expression and reticence.

"Okay. That's fine" she replied and walked over to one of the chairs allowing a wide berth between them as she went.

Marc considered what possibly had made her so wary of people before she'd been found and decided the best way to go was by whatever pace she set. He resigned himself to the fact that he wasn't going to get all the answers today but so long as she was improving and responsive he wouldn't complain.

"I'm Marc Jennings" he took off his badge and handed it to her, "You've been my patient since you arrived here at Camp Liberty. An army convoy found you out on a road after you were in a car accident and they brought you here. Do you remember that?"

Heather turned his badge over in her hands as she listened to his words. It was coming back to her, the accident and Black Jack.

"I remember" she said softly and handed him back his badge.

"What's your name?"

"Heather. Heather Lisinski" she answered and looked over at him.

"Well, that's much better" he said and rose from his seat.

"Much better?"

"Than what we've been calling you since you arrived: Jane Doe 040207-21" he said smiling and pointed to her designation on the dry erase board by the station desk before changing it to her name.

"Well, it does have a certain ring to it" she said with a small smile. She realized she hadn't had reason to smile in what seemed like a long time.

"It's nice to finally meet you, Heather."

"Thanks... for taking care of me" she said tentatively.

"No thanks necessary. I'm glad to do it. How do you feel?" he asked as he returned to his seat.

"Achey and a little dizzy"

"Like you've been spun in a blender?"

"Just like."

"We were worried that you had a very dangerous virus but luckily, it turned out that you just have a bad case of the flu. Your fever started to come down last night but you're still not in the clear. As a matter of fact, if you hadn't charged out of here when you did, you'd be in your room by now with meds and a cozy bed."

"I needed to get help for my hometown. They're in a lot of danger and they don't know it" her tone was worried but not resigned.

"Where are you from?"

"Jericho, Kansas" she said and when his face registered no recognition of the place, "It's not far from Denver."

She explained the situation to him in brief and he listened without question. He was glad she was talking and offering unsolicited information.

"Colonel Hoffman's a good man and if he can help he will" he offered reassurance when she finished telling him the situation.

"I hope you're right. I really hope so."

He checked the clock on the wall behind her and rose to leave, "I have to get to rounds but I'll check on you later, okay? The nurses will take good care of you in the meantime. You're safe and we'll keep you that way."

She smiled slightly in acknowledgment, hoping Col. Hoffman came through in the end. And even if he did, she wouldn't be truly at ease until she could get home and see that everyone was alright for herself. She waited in the chair for one of the nurses to come back for her when Dr. Kelleher came into the tent with a medic behind her.

"The supply kits are right through there" she said to him pointing the way, "Tell Col. Hoffman to make these last. Our next shipment from J&R isn't for another four days."

"Colonel Hoffman?" Heather queried.

"Yes..." Dr. Kelleher began, wondering her name.

"Heather."

"Yes, Heather. Colonel Hoffman and his men are about to deploy" she told her.

Heather stood up and practically dashed out of the tent. Dr. Kelleher followed after her in an attempt to stop her. Heather walked purposefully on as she explained to the doctor that she wanted to go home. Dr. Kelleher made it clear that wasn't going to happen and that she was to be expressly kept out of harm's way. When Heather reached Col. Hoffman, he explained that her request was to be granted and they were headed for Jericho. She expressed heartfelt thanks and felt a sense of relief finally. It was almost overwhelming. She composed herself and took a step backward, telling herself it was going to be okay. And even if she couldn't go with them, that they were going was what was immediately most important. As the soldiers mounted up and all kinds of activity surrounded her she glanced upward at the flag flying above. To her shock, it wasn't the same that she'd known her whole life. She almost wondered if she wasn't suffering from the effects of her fever the sight was so fractured and oddly reassembled. The colors were familiar but the twenty-one stars and thirteen vertical stripes that waved in the breeze gave her pause. She was starting to wonder what Colonel Hoffman had meant when he'd referred to the US Government and what had happened that had caused such a drastic change.

Before she could ask any questions she was felt extremely tired and nearly collapsed as the world before her tipped on its axis and the ground beneath her shifted in kind. Marc was returning to the tent and as he approached caught her before she fell and returned her to the med unit. He with the assistance of a nurse tucked her away into a bed even though she issued feeble protests.

Heather was fast drifting off to sleep and as she did she mumbled, "Hurry... before... late..." she spoke incoherently and just before she slipped under the veil of sleep, "Jake."

"Just rest, Heather. Colonel Hoffman is heading to your hometown. He'll make sure everyone's okay. They're all going to be okay and so will you. Just sleep." He made a note on her chart while the nurse checked her vitals. He ran her a new IV line before exiting and pulling the curtain behind him.

Outside Colonel Hoffman was just about ready to leave when he received another call from Valente telling him that he was needed to head out to the Blue Line because of new intel they'd received and to designate someone else to send to handle the Jericho-New Bern situation. He acknowledged the orders and knew just who to send. His long time friend, Major Edward Beck. He and his men had just arrived back at Camp Liberty two days before and though they were definitely entitled to at least another day of respite, Beck was the most qualified for the task and commanded his troops flawlessly. He made the call and Beck accepted his orders without question.

"Just go and do what you do best" Hoffman said after official necessities were out of the way.

"Make you look good?" Beck asked in a moment of humor between friends.

"Absolutely."

When Major Beck signed off he joined his men outside the tent.

"Mount up, gentlemen! We're out in ten!" he ordered.

His men moved as one and dispersed to grab their gear and mobilize to go. It didn't matter where, they'd follow their Major into hell if necessary.

"Parker!"

"Sir!"

"I want you to get me all the intel you can on two places in Kansas, asap. Jericho and New Bern. We've got a war to settle."


	10. Not OEffingKay!

**A/N: **Still moving forward with the story. I'm writing but not really getting around to getting online. I've no idea why. Anywho, hope you like this installment & as always, thanks for the comments and accolades! Everyone rocks! Next chapter up soon. :) Oh yes, and the portion in italics is always a flashback or memory.

**Disclaimer (casual):** I totally don't own Jericho or any characters from the show. This is just my toybox & the only things I own are my own original characters.

**Disclaimer (formal):** Jericho, all characters & canon fictional locations therein and associated trademarks are the sole intellectual property of CBS Paramount Television, CBS Studios, Inc., Junction Entertainment & Fixed Mark Prod. This work is not intended to infringe on the copyrights or trademarks held, but is solely a work of fan fiction and for diversion and amusement, not for profit.

* * *

**Title: Afterburn (Chapter 10/?)**

**Chapter 10: Not O-Effing-Kay!**

When his father was killed, it was more than Jake could take. It was far beyond the last straw and when he sat on the porch at the Richmond's he wasn't just crying for the loss of his father, he cried for all the last few months had been. For Freddie and Ana and all the people he'd tried to help but hadn't been able to save. For that girl in Iraq. For Randy Payton. For Heather.

He didn't have any more mental real estate in which to drop his grief and his coffers ran over. It wasn't long that he cried but it was necessary just the same. It wasn't long that he cried but it was necessary just the same. He rose and spoke to Hawkins on the radio and before taking his leave looked back at Emily. She was there at what seemed like the end of all things. They were outnumbered and overpowered by New Bern. This was their last stand. And when he walked over to her and kissed her, it was a thank you and I'm sorry and I love you and a goodbye all in one. He didn't think any of them was going to survive it. He hoped that he didn't and planned on not so doing. He wanted it all to end. His father's words came back to him after his return from Black Jack about why he hadn't stopped the car. He'd said he didn't know but the truth was he didn't want to admit it. The truth was that he envied Randy Payton his ability to let go. His last stand was faced with a certainty and peace that Jake had understood. He'd wanted that for himself. The atonement that came with the sacrifice had danced closely but never engaged him fully. Circumstances had kept intruding since the bombings but it looked almost, this time, like his end was near and he didn't want to fight that end any longer. If the war with New Bern and a final stand were the things that needed to be done and by some happenstance Jericho made it out, Jake still didn't want to. His father was gone. Eric would take care of their mother. He didn't have any reason to go on. Nothing left to prove.

But circumstances intervened and turned Jake's plan on its ear in the form of the military. Major Beck & the 10th Mountain division reached Jericho in time to put down the skirmish before it reached the point of no return. The Major had Jake and Constantino brought to him inside the Richmond house. He'd known from the information supplied by Col. Hoffman that Constantino was the one leading New Bern and that either Johnston Green or Gray Anderson would be in charge of Jericho. Also mentioned was a Jake Green, so when he arrived and found that Gray was away in a secure location & Johnston had been killed in the battle, the next one to find was Jake. Beck had seen men in the state these two were in before and knew how these things usually shook out. But right now, he needed to give them both the opportunity to tell their version of the truth. As he listened to them both he knew which was likely the more truthful. Jake Green. He knew then that if he could reach him he could get him to help him bring Jericho back into the civilized world. But it was clear when he took Jake aside that the young man was not interested in that task at the moment. He was spoiling for vengeance and couldn't hear anything else. The Major made note of this and while he was sympathetic felt he needed to warn him off from such a path. His telling Jake to go home to mourn and bury the dead was tempered with the assurance that order would be restored. As Jake walked off in silence, Beck only hoped that he'd heard him.

Jake took his leave. His father's body had already been taken back to town by the military and Eric had gone with their mother. He was numb. He couldn't feel much of anything except the occasional eruption of rage and even that was in some way a peace. His father was dead and Constantino was still breathing. What was right about that, he wondered. He'd heard what Beck had said but he was no more inclined to let anything go. Constantino was solely responsible for the deaths of many, including his father, the torture of Eric and ordering the murder of Heather. There was only one place he wanted to see Constantino and that was hell. He promised himself that no matter what, even if it means he died, he'd avenge his father. He couldn't accept that his father, by all accounts a good man, had died yet he of questionable character at best, was still living. The guilt he felt over it made him somewhat physically ill when he thought of it. He put it out of his mind and walked the rest of the way home. The distance didn't matter. Nothing much did any longer.

When he arrived home, the house is quiet. He mused that if he didn't know better he'd think the house itself knew his father would never walk through its doors again. He noticed his Johnston's messenger bag and coat hanging on the pegs by the door. He reached out but stopped short as his vision blurred with tears. He let his hand drop and headed for the kitchen. He washed his hands and face clean of the blood and wear of the day in the sink and dried off absently. He sighed and poured a glass of water and leaned on the sink while he drank.

He knew the water wasn't going to supply him with the solace he was looking for. He'd grown accustomed to the constant noise that resided in his head for months. Thoughts racing, past looming, problems mounting and all the while he'd moved through it all. The moments of self-reflection were almost non-existant though he remembered writing in his journal twice. He didn't think he'd ever do so again. It reminded him of her and hurt too much. There was hardly any time to sit and think about all the things that had happened let alone come to terms with them. The tasks were the thing that got him through. Activity was his friend and now it'd been taken away. Major Beck and the military had come in and taken away his task of the protection of Jericho and its citizenry and there wasn't anything he could do about it. He was glad Jericho was safe from New Bern but a feeling of uselessness was nagging at him and that was most unbearable. All he had left was making sure Constantino paid... for his father. For all of them. Nothing else mattered now.

He stared at the wall thinking about how to make his promise come to fruition. It was better than mourning. He couldn't do that. Not yet. There were things that needed to be done, he told himself. People depending on him. He had to hold it together for his mother and brother and everyone who'd loved Johnston Green in Jericho. His father would have wanted that. So lost in thought was he that he barely heard the knock at the back door. He put his glass down and went to see who it was.

"Em" he said in greeting as he opened the door to let her in.

"Hey. Your Mom and Eric are at the medical center... and when you didn't come by..." she said, searching his face and trying to meet his downcast eyes.

"Yeah. I know. I should go..." he began.

"No. It's okay. Your Mom said she wants to stay with your father. Alone. Mary's there taking care of Eric."

He nodded slowly, "That's good."

"So I thought maybe you could use someone to take care of you too" she said as she stepped closer.

"Me? No. I'm fine" he said and took a step back.

He thought he'd break down completely if she went to hug him and he wasn't sure that if he did he'd ever make it back.

"Yeah?" her sideways glance

"Mmhmm. It's just been, um... a rough day" he managed.

"I know" she began tentatively. "Jake... it's okay for you not to be okay. You know that right? You can talk to me" she said.

His eyes met hers finally and without another word he kissed her. She responded in kind as he pulled her close to him. It was the only way he knew to get her to stop talking or pursuing the issue.

That they found themselves upstairs in his room clawing and tearing at each others clothes was no particular surprise to Emily. The sex between them had always been something that even in the worst of their times, both had remembered fondly. Often it was the only thing that got them through the bad. He hadn't been her first or her last but she couldn't say he wasn't one of her best. This felt like where they'd been heading since she saw him the day he came back to town. They'd gone forward and gone back and that comforted her and made her happier than anything else. She matched his urgency as they tripped over jeans and shoes discarded and slipped her legs around him easily as he backed her up against the wall. She dug her nails into the back of his neck and relaxed into their familiar rhythm. When it was over, Emily felt a calm and satisfaction that was more than just the orgasm she'd had. When they stumbled over to the bed and collapsed onto it, her smile was at having him back again. All the things she'd worried that she'd lost or would never have were once again right in front of her.

"Well, even though I think your timing was a bit odd, this was just what I needed... seems like you did too" she whispered as she smiled and looked over at him.

"We'll see" Jake said quietly to no one in particular as he stared at the ceiling.

He wasn't thinking about what they'd done or what, if anything, it had meant. He wasn't thinking about his father. He wasn't thinking about what had happened today or anything from the last few months. As he laid there he concentrated on the feeling of a breeze moving over his sweat slicked skin and the cooling sensation it left. The taste of Emily still on his lips hinted at something he should remember but he didn't care. It would all come back soon enough but this moment was nice. It was more than nice, it was necessary.

_**Camp Liberty, NE...**_

Awaking suddenly and in fear had become too much the norm for Heather. She kept thinking that the next time she'd catch herself and realize that her nightmares were simply that and nothing more but that wasn't happening. She found that she was stuck in a pattern that left her terrified and when she realized that it was a mere reminder and not her current reality her anger overall was renewed.

That's where she was again after the sedative she'd been given wore off. She sat up in bed and after looking around and remembering where she was, tried to calm down. Her talent for pushing aside the memories of the past had been tested and become more and more honed over time. It wasn't a direction she'd gone in willingly but had done so out of necessity. For months she'd seen things that no one could fix and been in situations that no one could save her from. She saw so many suffering that all she could do was continue to bear up as best she could. But there were times that she wanted to break down and cry. She wanted to stand in the middle of a room and just scream until she couldn't any longer. She was angry about a lot of things that had happened and had to all but put out of her mind the actual event that put this world in which she now moved into motion.

The September attacks had robbed everyone and while she'd retained her high level of optimism and belief in the inherent goodness of people immediately after, that had been greatly eroded in response to recent events. She didn't wish she hadn't gone to New Bern but she certainly was angry with herself for having been so naive as to not have considered the possible dangers and peril that awaited her. She knew she'd do it all again without question or second thought but she promised herself that she wouldn't again be caught out that way. The only thing that lessened the pain was the ultimate good that had been done when Colonel Hoffman had sent troops to Jericho. She'd felt confident that should they arrive in time, they would save the people she loved.

Her initial wish to return immediately home was less urgent now. She was acutely aware of the fact that she wasn't the same person any longer. She knew she couldn't go back to who she'd been but she could use a little time to normalize. Even with all that had happened she had no wish to burden anyone back home nor did she want to talk about the things that had happened to her.

"Maybe being sent off to Cheyenne isn't really the worst thing in the world right now" she said aloud.

She looked her room and swung her legs over the side to climb down taking care of the IV line she was connected to. Her bed was more comfortable than anything shed slept on in ages but she needed to stretch her legs. She had a lot to think about and about a million questions that she needed answered but she didn't quite know who she could trust. Marc crossed her mind and she debated his trustworthiness. Something about him made her want to trust that he was just as he seemed but she didn't want to be disappointed or hurt by misjudging him. But she also had to admit that she hadn't any other contacts or allies here. Colonel Hoffman had been nice enough to send troops to Jericho but after she'd noticed the change of the flag, she didn't feel so comfortable asking him about it. She'd learned the lesson that positions of power were not necessarily held by the benevolent, honest or fair and that circumstances and its changes could bring out the unexpected and the worst in some people.

'Best to bide my time and temper my tongue' she thought of something her grandmother used to often say.

The memory was bittersweet, serving to remind Heather of how alone and apart she really felt.

_Months ago..._

_"So what are you doing in Jericho teaching little kids?" Jake asked her as he helped her reorganize her classroom after her students had been dismissed._

_"Why shouldn't I be in Jericho teaching little kids?" she asked and glanced at him over her shoulder while she cleaned the black board._

_"Umm, possibly because your degree says you should be off doing something huge?" he teased._

_"Well, the degree is one thing but your heart is sometimes in a different place at the end of your journey than where you began. At least, that's what happened to me" she answered with a shrug as she continued to clean._

_"You found out your heart's desire was teaching?" he asked and glanced back over at her._

_"No, not strictly. I found out my family was wider than I'd thought originally and remaining close to them was more important to me than other things" she said and began on organizing her student's cubbies._

_"Really?" he asked and started at the opposite end of the cubby row._

_"Yeah. My grandpa died my senior year of highschool and I was going to stay closer to home for college but my grandma wasn't having any of it. She said I had to go and not just for myself but also because it would have been what my parents and grandpa would have wanted also. For me to go chasing down my dreams. So, I did. And I loved it. Every minute of my time away at school was amazing. I certainly made more friends there than I had ever in my entire life and it was wonderful. But, my grandmother was sick and she didn't tell me until I'd returned to school for my last year. I wanted to come home right then but she wouldn't let me. She said I needed to see my education through and finish, so I did. And as soon as I was done, I came home. Oddly enough, the job market in New Bern wasn't really breaking for MechEn, so I took a job teaching middle school instead. It turned out, I was pretty good at it and it still allowed me plenty of time to take care of my grandma. A few months before she died, I'd accepted an elementary teaching assignment in Jericho. And after she died, I just needed a change from New Bern. It was filled with a few too many memories, both good and bad. So, I sold my grandparent's ranch and moved to Jericho. I made sense, I had a best friend in Emily and I absolutely adored my students, not to mention Mr. Rennie and the other teachers that I'd come to know. They'd all become my family and I realized that I'd rather be close to them than anywhere else in the world" she said as they met in the middle._

_"So..." Jake said with a smile and a look she couldn't really place but woke up the butterflies in her stomach._

_"So... I guess that's what I'm doing here" she managed to say._

_"So I guess I'm glad and lucky" he replied._

"Hey, Heather" Marc greeted as he came in to check on her and noticed she was crying, "Are you okay?"

The question pulled her out of her thoughts and she realized that her face was damp with tears as she brought her hands up to wipe them away.

"I'm fine. Just thinking."

"Are you sure? Can I get you anything?" he asked and handed her a small box of tissues.

"No. Thanks. It's okay. I'm okay" she replied and accepted the box.

"Alright. I'll come back later" he said and turned to leave.

"No. Please don't go."

"Are you sure? It's not a problem, really. Things have been crazy for months and I haven't met anyone yet who hasn't needed to take a moment now and then."

"I'm sure. I have some questions I wanted to ask... and you're the only person that I've kind of talked to, so..."

"Sure. Ask me anything" he replied and pulled up a chair to sit.

Heather regarded him for a moment. She needed to decide now, to trust him or not. His openness reminded her of things she'd lost and she wondered who he was and how he'd retained that given where he worked. She didn't detect any malice in his blue eyes so she forged on.

"Thanks. Well, first off, what's happened to the flag?"


	11. Requiem

**A/N:** Oy-friggin-vey! I can't even begin to explain how this took me forever & a day to write! I have my own issues with the whole revered father with complex relationship dying thing, so that was likely part of my problem. Luckily, I've a husband who told me, I just had to get in there and write it & not just for the sake of the story but also as my own catharsis. So here it is & I'm thrilled to hand it over on this my B-Day! YAY! Cheesy

**Disclaimer (casual):** I totally don't own Jericho or any characters from the show. This is just my toybox & the only things I own are my own original characters.

**Disclaimer (formal):** Jericho, all characters & canon fictional locations therein and associated trademarks are the sole intellectual property of CBS Paramount Television, CBS Studios, Inc., Junction Entertainment & Fixed Mark Prod. This work is not intended to infringe on the copyrights or trademarks held, but is solely a work of fan fiction and for diversion and amusement, not for profit

* * *

**Title: Afterburn (Chapter 11/?)**

**Chapter 11: Requiem**

Johnston Green's wake at Bailey's Tavern would be remembered by many for years to come as one of the finest attended ever by a good many people, his eldest son however wouldn't recollect much at all. His memories would be weighed down by the mantle of whiskey and grief. Forever fuzzy around the edges and the clear center as biting as a series of paper cuts doused with alcohol.

Jake had spent much of his time sitting in a booth unsure of whether or not he was hiding or waiting. He didn't know exactly what from or what for either way but he couldn't seem to get himself to get up and engage anyone just the same. He noticed his mother across the room talking to people who'd come to pay their respects. She exuded the same strength that people had come to associate with being quintessentially her but he could see underneath to her grief. Even now she was the Mayor's wife, the First Lady of Jericho and was taking care of other people during what should have been solely her mourning period.

He thought back to that morning at home and how she'd flitted from place to place completely on task as if the possibility of standing still was a criminal act. She'd gone on a cleaning campaign in anticipation of people coming by and he'd helped. He'd noticed as he went along that the industry wasn't at all necessary and it was about the activity and he understood. Had he been able to sit still and bear it, he'd have mentioned it to her. But he couldn't and he didn't so they busied themselves in a flurry of activity until it was time to go on to the next thing.

When they'd finally arrived at Bailey's a good number of people were already there. It'd only been a few days since the war with New Bern and things in town were still very far from normal. The addition of the increasingly present military was reason enough to think so but the physical reminders of the destruction rendered by the mortars also remained. That so many people had made the effort to show their respects while grappling with their own grief and fallen loved ones was what astounded Jake the most. He'd gone to a fair number of funerals just like everyone else over the course of days but he'd rarely been able to feel anything other than his own pain of loss. He'd made a concerted effort to remember the names of all of the dead and injured but at the end of the day his thoughts always returned to his father. His words of comfort and condolence to others felt hollow in his mouth. His heart was laden down and his pain held sole ownership.

"Jake" Eric said as he came up behind him at the bar.

"Hey" Jake replied after he'd turned toward him.

The brothers embraced briefly and looked over at their mother.

"How is she?" Eric asked as he noticed Gray approach her.

"Just like you'd expect her to be. She won't talk about it really" Jake said and turned back to the bar.

Eric responded with only a nod and focused on his brother again, "I took care of all the church stuff for the service."

"That's good."

"Well, what about trying to contact the family in..."

"I took care of it. It's done."

"Really?"

"Yeah. That Major... Beck... gave families who'd needed to, access to the military's radio to try and contact their extended family. So I did and it's done. Don't be so surprised" Jake explained and looked down at his glass.

"I'm not. I just thought... I don't know what I thought but it doesn't matter. I'm glad you handled it. If there's anything else you need me to do, just let me know."

"I think we've thought of everything. You okay?" Jake asked almost nonchalantly barely glancing at his brother.

"Yeah. You?" Eric asked and looked across the room.

Jake nodded and they both fell momentarily silent as Jake sipped his drink and Eric moved to grab a bottle and a glass.

Eric poured his drink without really thinking about it. It didn't matter what it was. Anything would suffice in the moment to take his mind off of the current state of things. He looked around the room and noticed Mary talking with Mrs. Anderson. He couldn't help but compare the current First Lady of Jericho to his mother and in his eyes she fell woefully short but so did her husband in comparison to his father. He knew that he was most likely being somewhat unfair but he didn't really care. Mary caught his eye and he gave her a small smile that she returned. The worried look underlying that she'd been carrying since he'd returned from New Bern had remained though.

Jake noticed the look exchanged between the two and asked, "You two still good?"

'Of course. Why wouldn't we be?" Eric asked turning his attention back to his brother.

"No reason. Just asking."

"Well don't" Eric said a hint of defense in his voice and then, "Where's Emily?"

"I don't know" he replied absently.

"I'm not surprised"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing" Eric replied.

He'd no wish to engage his brother in a conversation of reminiscence at the moment nor did he really care to advise him of anything. So many moments seemed to turn in revolution around Jake that Eric felt he'd likely choke on the words had he even attempted to take on the task. This time wasn't about Jake, it was about their father and the loss of him. Eric was sure it was a thing from which he would likely never fully recover and he also wasn't in much of a sharing mood either.

"Just leave it" he said finally almost under his breath and realized that his brother hadn't heard him.

Eric picked up his glass and made his way across the room toward their mother leaving his brother alone at the bar contemplating his drink. SInce his return from New Bern and their father's death he'd been feeling less patient of Jake.

The day of the funeral was almost a complete blur for Jake. Later, he wouldn't remember the hymns or the homily but he would remember the weight of the coffin when he, Eric, Stanley & Gray served as pallbearers and bore his father out of the church. He'd remember the feel of the wood of the coffin and how his hands felt against the grain along with the scent of it. The wood and the varnish reminded him of what he was doing for a moment before the feel of the cool brass of a handle distracted him with another sensory experience. As the handle warmed in his hand the feel of it faded as soon as all the bearers shifted the weight to their shoulders to exit the church. Jake inclined his head toward the coffin slightly as he stared ahead. He still didn't want to believe the truth and its finality.

At the internment he and Eric stood on either side of their mother. The day had begun cool and overcast but had warmed considerably. Jake only heard parts of what was being said around him. Even with the sun shining he felt almost entirely cold. He looked down at his hand feeling warmth and took note that he was holding his mother's hand. He couldn't remember if he'd taken her hand or she his or when but he knew he didn't want to let go. He squeezed her hand in support and to remind himself that this was all actually happening as she leaned in closer to him.

Eric kept his eyes on fixed on an imaginary spot far off in the distance. He couldn't look at the coffin. The closest he'd come was the floral arrangement that adorned the top and even then he'd thought that it seemed out of place. The delicate flowers above, the soft turned earth below meant to contain a force as solid as Johnston Green. It was unfathomable and painfully real at the same time. He'd attempted over the days since his father's death to come to terms with it but all he'd arrived at were the numerous relationships he'd lost. He'd lost a father, a mentor, a colleague and friend and he wasn't sure if he was supposed to deal with the losses at cumulatively or one at a time. It was something he normally would have asked his father but now, there was no one to consult.

Eventually the group of mourners broke up and departed. As they did so, Gail felt a sense of relief. She'd felt all day that the services were more for the benefit of others than for herself. She didn't begrudge them but had she had her way. it'd have been an almost entirely solitary event. When she let go of Jake's hand and stepped forward for the last time she could not find it in herself to bid her husband farewell. She thought back to months before and the beginnings of their plans for traveling together. The September attacks came and robbed them of those plans and was the catalyst to the chain of events that eventually took Johnston's life. It was almost unbelievable to her and she couldn't help feeling all the more aggrieved, even as she remained self contained. She knew that their friends and family needed to see her hold it together, so she had. She knew their sons were doing their best to bear up for her and she couldn't bring herself to let go completely. Not because she didn't need to but because she was quite sure they couldn't cope with it. That everyone was trying so hard to be strong for each other was comforting in its own way to her. She knew there wasn't consolation enough to dull the pain of this loss and she knew that a part of her would never get over the loss of the man she'd loved and shared her life with. In her heart she'd have had it no other way.

Jake had stayed behind longer than anyone else at the cemetery. Emily had been good enough to accompany Gail back to the house and Mary had coaxed Eric along as well. Jake stayed long enough to see them begin to lower the coffin into the ground and as they did he felt an overwhelming desire to leave. Everything was over. His father was really dead and life was going on without him. Jake's problem was he didn't know quite how to rejoin that life or if he wanted to be bothered with it entirely at all. As he turned to leave he silently promised his father that he'd make it all right and be sure that what had happened wouldn't go unpunished. Constantino had a date that though he wasn't aware was most important and certain to be kept in Jake's mind. He'd pay for the loss and the pain he'd caused. He'd die the theft of Johnston Green.

When he arrived home he was somewhat saddened but not at all surprised that the house was full of people. His mother was being her ever gracious self comforting others, which alone made him want to ask everyone to leave. He hung back and watched not wanting to engage anyone. He noticed Emily from where he was standing. She and Mary were doing very good jobs as hostess and tending to everyone while Eric was seated in a far corner of the room not really engaging anyone and looking at nothing in particular.

Jake noticed his father's chair and Gray sitting in it. He didn't think long and crossed the room purposefully.

"This is my father's chair" he said as he stood behind Gray.

People nearest who took notice were Emily, Mary, Mrs. Anderson and Jimmy.

"I'm sorry, Jake... I didn't know..." Gray explained apologetically as he rose.

"Now you do" was Jake's only reply as he turned and walked out of the room and headed for the kitchen.

As he entered he exhaled deeply and tried to relax. But it was all for naught. He couldn't breathe and felt an overwhelming need to leave. He slipped out the back door quickly and down the back stairs to the backyard. He couldn't be there any longer and as he quickened his pace he untied his tie and discarded it on his way out of the yard. He began blindly walking down the street while unbuttoning his shirt collar trying to figure out what he was going to do and how things had gotten so out of hand. The darkening clouded sky matched his mood but he took no note as he continued on.

He cut across the park and noticed Sean and Bonnie sitting on the bleachers near the baseball diamond talking. Sean's arm was still in a sling, the result of a gunshot he'd sustained during the fight with New Bern. It made his signing stilted but it didn't seem to be affecting communication between the couple. Jake looked away and continued on. The sight of the two reminded him of his own feelings of isolation. He shrugged off the thought as he reached the exit of the park. The constantly blowing breezes were strengthening but that was of little consequence to Jake as he strode on down Kenton Lane. The longer he walked the more the suffocating feeling he'd had subsided. It was the same feeling he'd had the day of the attacks when he was leaving town. It seemed like a lifetime ago and he couldn't quite fathom how he'd arrived where he had.

Rain began to fall fulfilling a day long promise and Jake took note and stopped walking. He looked up at the sky and knew the storm had not only arrived but it was also going to a serious one. He looked around and realized that he was standing in front of Heather's house. He didn't know why he was there or why his feet brought him there and his mind decided to engage him in the conspiracy when he'd arrived. The sight of her home momentarily took his breath away as he remembered that the thing he'd forgot that day was that she was gone too. She was gone and no more able to come back than his father. He leaned back slightly and sighed with the thought as the rainfall increased.

He walked up the gravel driveway toward her house and missed hearing her steps alongside. He went up the steps to her door and found it locked but quickly found a key beneath a heavy terracotta flowerpot on her patio, unlocked the door and went inside. Once inside he looked around almost afraid to breathe for fear that everything would disintegrate like ash in the air. He felt and heard the wind blowing through the window and noticed some of the panes were broken. He supposed it was the result of the mortar attacks as he moved closer to inspect the damage. The pains quivered and threatened to break as the wind howled and the rain swirled outside. Jake frowned at the idea that Heather's home would become any more destroyed. He couldn't stand the thought. He wanted it sealed and preserved forever for many reasons. Because the scent of her was still there and even if the physical her was no more her spirit should inhabit those walls for as long as possible. Without the ability to bury her, he thought her home should be her memorial. As sacred a place as the cemeteries that now held his father and grandfather along with those who fell in the conflict with New Bern.

Jake took off his jacket and tossed it on a chair as he headed toward the kitchen and out the back door. As the rain poured he crossed her backyard to the shed in hopes he'd find exactly what he needed. When he did, he smiled and thought that he should have known it would be so because he could count on Heather to have planned and been prepared for any number of contingencies. He said a silent thanks to her wherever she was as he grabbed plywood, nails and a hammer and ran back to the house. Once inside, he boarded up the front windows with a speed and skill he'd forgotten he had for such things. He recalled in passing lessons from his father and grandfather teaching he and Eric the skills. He hammered the last sheet blindly into place and realized finally that he'd finished though he didn't want to be. Everything kept ending and he'd no control over any of it. The things he'd had right in front of him dissolved away, the things he'd held had fallen away and the only things that remained were emptiness and anger and those he couldn't share with anyone else. He sat down and leaned back on her sofa and noticed the hammer in his hand. He turned over the chintz handled hammer and thought that it seemed like her. Handy and practical with an unexpected girly edge. He laughed bitterly and dropped it on the floor as his eye caught sight of the picture he's seen before of she and Emily. Suddenly he felt like an intruder and that he shouldn't be there. An urgency to leave compelled him to do so hastily and as he walked home in the storm he wondered how to right all the wrongs and bring what he determined as just to bear on Constantino.


	12. From The Inside

**A/N: **It's totally been forever and I've no decent excuse. I simply went all emo after my last chapter and couldn't get past it for a bit. I had a temperamental writer moment or six going on but I think I've finally pulled myself out of it and can get on. Let's hope so anyway. ;) So, this chapter is a little bit shorter than most recent chaps but it serves a specific purpose and it's off to the next one for me now. The ideas are kinda' piled up in my brain and I need to get going. Next chapter up soon.

**Disclaimer (casual):** I totally don't own Jericho or any characters from the show. This is just my toybox & the only things I own are my own original characters.

**Disclaimer (formal):** Jericho, all characters & canon fictional locations therein and associated trademarks are the sole intellectual property of CBS Paramount Television, CBS Studios, Inc., Junction Entertainment & Fixed Mark Prod. This work is not intended to infringe on the copyrights or trademarks held, but is solely a work of fan fiction and for diversion and amusement, not for profit.

* * *

**Title: Afterburn (Chapter 12/?)**

**Chapter 11: From The Inside**

_**Camp Liberty, NE...**_

Over the past couple of days Heather had listened to Marc tell her about the changes that had taken place in the country in recent weeks and tried to remain open minded. It had never occurred to her that in the United States one could wake up one day and be in a completely different country. If the September attacks did nothing else, they'd solidified that idea in her mind. When all else was in question, she'd known what country she'd been a citizen of. But seemingly overnight things had transpired that rendered people on one side of some imaginary line to be in another place altogether with a newly formed government. She understood the argument that it'd been partly and greatly in effort of reconstruction and renewal but she was still uneasy about it.

"I'd thought it was crazy and drastic too at first. I kinda' still do" Marc had admitted to her as he'd explained.

She'd paid close attention as he'd explained and the more he spoke, the more she felt that she could trust him. When she posed her questions he answered freely and didn't feign knowledge he didn't possess. She liked that about him and she'd also noticed that though he smiled easily his eyes held a certain sadness that never seemed too far away.

He told her about his mother and sister and she found his attempt at positivity reminded her of herself. She recognized in him that part of a person that in the darkest moment still holds onto the slightest sliver of hope. She wanted to believe for him that his loved ones were well and safe. She needed to believe it. It reminded her of who she was or at the very least who she used to be. And even if she couldn't get back to that entirely she didn't want to forget altogether.

"Well, maybe you can contact someone at Jennings & Rall and tell them you're related to find out information on your family." she'd said jokingly as she laid her fork down on her tray.

Marc had brought her food from the J&R commissary in place of what was on offer to patients since she'd begun to feel better. She'd told him she couldn't just eat alone and invited him to dine with her if he'd had the time. He was hesitant at first but she'd won in the end and when he'd finally obliged they'd done more talking than eating.

His blue eyes shifted away from her and his face fell slightly. She felt badly for saying what she had even though she didn't know why.

"Funnily enough, I actually am and there's still no word" he said with a shrug.

He could tell that she'd really meant it as an attempt at humor and appreciated her levity. She hadn't smiled often since arriving at Camp Liberty and he didn't begrudge her the moment. Given another set of circumstances it would have been just the kind of thing to make him laugh.

"Oh my god! I'm so sorry, Marc. I didn't mean it like... I didn't realize..." she stumbled.

"No. It's okay. You couldn't have known. Like seriously, what are the odds?" he assured her with a smile. "My father's Jaymes Jennings of J&R. He's done everything he can to locate my mother and sister but nothing's come of the inquiries yet. But you never know, right?"

"No. You never know" she agreed with a smile of encouragement.

She thought back briefly to her time in New Bern when all she and Eric had had was hope and how that had sustained them. She wanted to get that back. The hope she'd held onto had been for the benefit of others and she could no longer find it for herself.

"After all that's happened, if we don't have hope what's the reason to get out of bed in the morning?"

"Yeah" Heather replied with a nod.

"But, enough about that. Since you're going to head off to Cheyenne, we need to get you up to standard with a few vaccinations" he said and wrote a note on her chart.

"Vaccinations?"

"Yeah. Mostly precautionary, there've been some crazy outbreaks in pockets and the rules say that anyone coming into Cheyenne from any area outside of a 100 mile radius needs to be vaccinated prior to getting there."

"Nice" Heather replied with a raised eyebrow. She wasn't the biggest fan of needles but considering all she'd endured of late she figured it wouldn't be so bad.

"It's practically painless, I promise" Marc said with a smile. "Come on, don't break my image of you being all badass now."

"Badass? Me?"

"Absolutely. Don't forget how you arrived here. We were more than impressed. When you took on Col. Hoffman that pretty much clarified for me how you survived out there."

"Well I have had a She-Ra moment or two in my time but I can't really say I've felt that way lately" Heather said with a deferential shrug as she thought back to the day after the bombings and April finishing up on her casted leg.

She missed what he'd said next as he prepped her arm for the shot. Her mind was preoccupied by thoughts of things she didn't want to entertain, things she'd rather have forgotten and things that she wished she'd never had knowledge of. It was becoming more and more apparent to her that she needed to sort herself out sooner rather than later. She felt anything but badass but when the needle entered her arm, so preoccupied was she that she never flinched. When she realized, she wondered how long it would be before her mind would be as numb as her arm had been to the sting. She hoped it'd be soon.

_**Jericho...**_

Gail hadn't slept much since her husband's death and as she lay awake in their bed she remembered back to a time when she'd had to get used to sleeping in the same bed with him. Over the years they'd parried over space and covers alike, compromised on the perfect temperature for optimal slumber and spent nearly as many hours laying next to one another lamenting over their sons as they had making love. So now, it wasn't just Johnston's side of the bed that was empty, it was a reminder of the larger void in her life. The part that had been cut out too soon, unexpectedly and required more energy to bear than she felt she had left. She'd done what was needed and expected of her the day before but when she'd retired to her room, she wanted nothing more than to curl up in the comforter and never emerge. It had been one of the few places that she'd afforded herself to cry freely and grieve fully. Solitary that it was, she hadn't wanted to share it with anyone. If nothing else, it could be the last thing she had that was truly between she and her Johnston.

She could still smell the scent of him on his pillow and smiled as she smoothed the linen. She could stay there all day, cocooned and with her memories of him and she was prepared so to do when she the sound of someone playing the piano downstairs.

She knew immediately it was Jake and she turned her head to listen. She remembered back to when she'd taught he and Eric to play when they were little. Of the two, Jake had not only excelled, he also applied himself and seemed to enjoy it so when he announced he wasn't interested in playing any longer at fifteen she was terribly disappointed. No amount of persuasion or encouragement on her part could convince him to stick with it. She'd found it unfortunate because it'd always been one of the few ways he'd had to express himself. Jake had never been talkative or prone to any other artistic endeavors and she feared that without playing the piano he'd all but seize completely emotionally.

As she listened to him play now, she recalled how every once in a while, when he was home alone he'd play. And now, just as then his choice of piece was always more about his mood than anything else. There had been times that she'd arrived home a bit earlier than expected and could hear him playing. She'd remain outside until he'd finished because she realized he hadn't many ways to work out what he was feeling and also she hadn't wanted him to stop. The piece he was playing now was mournful, dark and more meaningful than any words either of them could likely string together about what they felt currently. She sat up to listen more closely.

She hadn't heard him play in years but felt a slight vindication inside, that after all this time he'd not lain it aside in total. She'd long considered that Jake had been a perfect blend between she and Johnston. Though some of the rougher traits of Johnston shone through more readily every once in a while those Jake had inherited from her broke through. Usually the thought made her smile but now it simply served as another reminder of the past. She sighed deeply and pulled herself out of bed and slid into her robe. All of a sudden the room was cold and less a comfort. She headed downstairs seeking distance from her pain and companionship in it also though she knew she couldn't really obtain either.

She came slowly down the stairs when she knew Jake was nearly done. He hadn't noticed her until he finished the last chord and looked up. Gail smiled back at him as she walked over and sat down next to him. She kissed him on his forehead and was about to mention that he hadn't slept when there was a knock at the door.

Jake rose and went to answer the door to find Emily standing outside.

"Hey. I figured I'd come over and check on you. I didn't know where you'd gotten off to last night before I left" she said with a small smile.

"Yeah. Thanks." Jake said and stepped back to let her in.

"I thought I heard someone playing the piano." Emily said when she saws Gail seated there.

Gail smiled at the comment and shot Jake a knowing glance. He caught it and answered with a small shrug as a thanks for keeping the confidence and not saying that it wasn't her but Jake who'd been playing the piano.

"Is there anything I can do? Do you need anything?" Emily asked sincerely.

"Oh no thank you, sweetheart. But thank you for the offer and for coming over. It's all just going to take time" Gail said as she rose.

Gail noticed Jake hovering still in the background by the door and thought the two could use some time to talk. Emily had stayed after everyone had departed the night before but Jake still had not returned. Eric and Mary had wound up giving her a ride home during the storm. Jake had come in not long after that but hadn't seemed inclined to talk much and instead busied himself cleaning up what had been left to do. Gail had wondered where he'd been but hadn't asked before she'd departed for bed.

She smile at them both and left them alone but not before giving Jake a hug and kiss on the cheek before she went back upstairs.

"So..." Jake said when they were alone.

"So... how ya' doin?" Emily asked him tentatively and stepped closer.

"I don't know... okay I guess" he said with a shrug.

"I was worried about you last night. Where'd you go?"

"Nowhere. I just needed to go for a walk... clear my head" he said and knew that the latter was neither the purpose nor the result of his outing.

_**Downtown...**_

Eric watched from the window of Mary's apartment as another truckload of soldiers arrived and disembarked on Main Street. Over the last week it seemed more of them arrived and with greater frequency. Eric had considered that at the current rate the ratio of soldier to Jericho resident would soon even out and didn't like the idea at all. There were too many changes in so short a time that he'd felt like he couldn't catch up. The protection and restoration of order was welcome and he'd found himself less worried than he had been recently. But even that, hadn't helped him sleep or incline him to talk much. And he knew both those things had worried Mary.

Since he'd returned from New Bern, Eric had been reluctant to tell her all that had happened and that he'd seen. Not because he didn't need to talk about it but because he hadn't wanted to burden her with such things. She had occupied the thoughts he'd had of good and calm while away and he'd no desire to taint her now. He also knew that telling her everything would in no way take away her worry. Most of all he didn't want to have to relate it and that was the point that reminded him of the fact that he missed Heather. He felt some measure of guilt that she'd met her end and he had not but that had been tempered and staved off by the death of his father.

Eric had done whatever was necessary in the time leading up to the funeral to handle arrangements and be the man his father would have expected him to be. He'd been glad to do it out of honor and love and all the while turned over in his mind the perfect moment of Constantino's reckoning. He'd begun honing his thoughts and ideas on the matter and was more and more looking forward to the law exacting justice on him. Major Beck had been investigating Constantino and his regime and everyone was sure that once the facts came to light, only one decision would be made. That thought had become Eric's solace and even in his most isolated moments made things better.

Isolation had been something that Eric had always been somewhat accustomed to. While the Greens had been what those outside of the family would have considered close, Eric had often felt like an island unto himself. Even before Jake had left town, there had been a division between the brothers. It hadn't just been normal sibling rivalry. It had been outright competition, albeit one sided. Jake hadn't needed to put forth any sort of effort in the competition. Eric had been the dutiful and obedient son but still knew fell short ultimately when it came to the favor of his parents. He hadn't blamed them really, they were only human afterall and certain personalities meshed better with others. It wasn't malice, it was human. Even so, it had hurt Eric when he'd heard the disappointment in either of his parents voices when they would realize that it wasn't Jake on the line calling in. And in Jake's absence, the resentment that Eric had held for him prior had abated and he'd come to believe that that circumstance was not of his making but more a happenstance. It had helped Eric to get past some of his resentment or so he'd thought. Since Jake's return, Eric had felt the same feelings re-emerge and his willingness to assign blame to his brother increased. Only this time, he didn't really care if he was being fair or not. When their father died, Eric realized quickly and acutely that he was outside of a particular Green clique. That of his mother and Jake. It hadn't come as much of a surprise as it had always been so but now that Johnston had gone, Eric felt not just apart but unneeded and not necessarily needed by them. He was merely a satellite unto them. He supposed that it would remain thus and for the first time ever, though the loved them, he held a measure of contempt for them both.

"Hey." Mary greeted him sleepily as she sat up in bed.

"Morning" he said as he glanced over his shoulder with a smile.

"Whatcha' thinking about'?"

"Nothing important. I made coffee, I'll pour you a cup" he said as he rose and tucked his thoughts away. He told himself again that everything would sort itself out but somehow he knew that wasn't the case. The unresolved was even more pronounced now and sooner or later would need to be dealt with once and for all.


	13. Relocated & Relegated

**A/N: **Okay, so sorry for the delay in updates for this story. RL (work specifically) has been all consuming and though I've written, I've had no time to post. So, here's the next chapter & I'll try to get another up before I take off for the holiday.

**Disclaimer (casual):** I totally don't own Jericho or any characters from the show. This is just my toybox & the only things I own are my own original characters.

* * *

**Title: Afterburn (Chapter 13/?)**

**Chapter 13: Relocated & Relegated**

_**Jericho, KS**_

When Jake returned home after his morning visit to the medical center, he noticed luggage by the front door.

"Mom?" he called as he closed the door behind him.

"I'm in here, sweetheart" Gail called from the kitchen.

Jake pulled off his jacket and hung it on a chair in the dining room as he headed in the direction of her voice.

"What's up?" he asked as he stood in the doorway watching his mother put away dishes.

"I'm going to stay out at the ranch for a bit. I've been missing the horses" she replied and closed the cabinet door before turning to face him.

"I promise, I've been taking excellent care of them. Every day" Jake chided lightly. He'd actually enjoyed going to the ranch regularly and laughed at himself when he recalled how he used to complain and rail against so doing.

"I've no doubt you have. So don't you stay away just because I'm there to do it."

He wanted to ask her not to go but knew that she needed to. Even so, part of him wished she'd stay and he knew it was selfish. His father's absence was bordering on unbearable but contemplating the idea of his mother leaving as well hinted at his existing not in a vacuum but a black hole. It wasn't a prospect he looked upon favorably but also couldn't bear the idea that she not be able to come to terms with everything in her own time and way.

"I won't. I'll come over on schedule no matter what to muck out the stables... 'cause I know that's your least favorite thing" he assured her with his best smile.

Her smile back was sincere but sad and Jake could hardly bear it. Instead he took her bags out to her car. After their goodbyes later he watched his mother drive off and sighed as her car turned left at the corner and disappeared from sight. He hesitated, feeling reluctant to go inside and recalled a similar feeling in the bottom of his stomach when he'd returned home months ago. Then it had been because of who'd been inside and now it was the exact opposite. They were all gone and it stung in the way that irony tends to. For the past five years he'd separated himself from his family and wanted nothing more than to be left alone and now with all that had come to pass he'd no longer desired what fate had finally given him.

'It'd figure' he said to himself and climbed the steps to the front door heavily wondering if there was some huge cosmic joke running where he was the punchline.

Once inside, he closed the door behind him and headed for the sofa. He was tired and leaned back with his eyes closed. He knew that he'd not likely sleep for all the thoughts racing in his mind and the silence of the house wasn't helping either. He mulled heading over to Bailey's for a moment but his heart wasn't in that either. The effort of rising and going seemed to tire him more.

_**Cheyenne, WY**_

The North American corporate headquarters of Jennings & Rall had always been busy but since the bombings it had increased exponentially. Business was conducted on a 24/7 basis as the new norm. Staff had been increased by 100 necessitating acquisition of an annex of three smaller buildings at a corporate campus just outside of the city limits while construction on a new Jennings & Rall tower in downtown got underway. Such growth was necessary but also a nightmare to steer and most would agree that such an undertaking would have foundered under any other leadership than that of Jaymes Jennings.

He always arrived early with his entourage and always at the ready was his personal secretary, Madeline. She anticipated his needs, kept his schedule from racing out of control and always made sure her boss looked good. She carried out his requests and made sure that when necessary, he kept a certain level of deniability. It never mattered what the situation happened to be, professional or personal, working for Jaymes Jennings wasn't a job or even a career, it was an all encompassing endeavor.

"Yes, Mr. Jennings, post haste" she said as she multi-tasked.

No sooner had they disconnected than she was on the line with someone else and sending an email as well. It was barely 8 AM and she'd been in the office and on task for two hours already. She'd been cruising along in her tasks but everything else came to a halt with the one thing that took precedence over everything else for the boss. His son.

"Hello, Jack. Yes, it's Maddie. Mr. Jennings wishes you to have Unit MTW7-62 reassigned. It's come to his attention that the shortage of specialty medical staff at St. Francis Mercy hasn't yet been resolved and he's agreed to assist in filling that need as a personal favor for the CMD. Yes. That's correct. No record necessary. It's a favor. Call me with confirmation and ETA. Thank you, Jack. Goodbye."

_**Camp Liberty, NE**_

"So, today's the day you get sprung from this place" Marc greeted Heather with a cup of coffee and a smile.

"Thanks. Yeah. It's my big day" Heather replied as she accepted the cup, anxiety creeping into her voice.

She would hardly say that she'd slept easily for quite some time, but the night before was particularly bad. She'd tossed and turned until she was beyond exhausted from the activity and still she couldn't slip away into slumber. Her mind had been occupied with wondering how things would be in Cheyenne, how things were in Jericho and if it were possible to condition oneself to sleep but not dream. She had nightmares on a consistent basis now and had found that the only times she really slept soundly was when she was issued a sedative and she didn't like that. It didn't seem to be a big deal to any of the staff to issue patients sedatives and anti-anxiety meds but what bothered Heather was the idea of having the need. That hadn't been enough though to motivate her to go and talk to the staff psychiatrist. On one hand she realized that it would likely serve her well but again, the idea of having need of it put her off. She kept telling herself that she wasn't so badly off and that such things should be kept available for those who really needed them. She kept telling herself a lot of things.

"All things considered, Cheyenne's not so bad. I know you want to get back home but if you have to be anywhere until Major Beck gets things more under control, Cheyenne's the perfect place" he reassured her.

"I know you're right and that's exactly what Col. Hoffman said when I talked with him. It's all just kind of surreal, everything that's happened" she said.

"Like an extended nightmare that you can't wake from but keep hoping you will" Marc concurred. He understood all too well.

"Just like everyone else" Heather agreed with a small smile and shrugged off her moment.

"Look, everyone's grief is unique and so are their ways of coping. Don't make light of your own issues just because everyone is going through something" Marc advised as he looked up from a stack of papers.

"I just need to get myself together. Clear my head. This is really just all for the best."

"You're saying the words but you're not buying it" Marc chuckled as he flipped through the pages stopping to sign his name occasionally.

"I'm trying to... wholeheartedly" Heather said and sipped her coffee.

"So don't go for wholehearted. Just, you know, be cool with whatever you have. Don't make it one more thing to stress over."

"Is that what you do or is that what you tell people to do?" she heard herself ask with a smirk and raised brow.

"Good question" he laughed, "I actually employ my own advice... which most likely makes _me_ more lame than most people who issue platitudes"

Heather laughed and for a moment forgot her worry and just enjoyed the feeling of being at ease with her new friend.

"No. Not lame. Definitely rare and for sure decent. The hard part is always doing what you tell others to do. It means more when you know personally how tough it is. Thanks."

"I'll give you rare but I'm not so sure about decent... entirely. I've absolutely done some things that I shouldn't have and probably wouldn't have ever given other circumstances since the bombings" he told her honestly.

"Yeah... me too" Heather said quietly with a slight frown as she focused on the cup in front of her.

She thought briefly about her meeting with Col. Hoffman. She'd met with him to give him her account of what had happened to her in New Bern and how she'd come to be in that car accident in the end. She'd been most forthcoming with the events she'd witnessed and experienced in New Bern and knew that the case to be made on the issue of New Bern being really to blame and the aggressor between the two towns was going to be bolstered by the information she possessed. But she hadn't just related the information for that reason. She'd also done it for those she cared about in New Bern. She worried for them under Constantino's regime and wanted their futures to ultimately be better.

And when it came to what had happened to her after New Bern, she related her story to Col. Hoffman in exactly the same manner. Explaining when he asked for clarification and going over it all step by step. The only difference was that that part was a lie. When she'd left the meeting she had to take a moment when what she'd done struck her. She'd never been an accomplished liar and felt sure that if asked anything else at that very moment, she'd likely not pull off any credible level of duplicity. That she'd sat for an extended period of time and literally dispensed lie after lie without hesitation, guile or regret made her wonder about herself. She knew that what she'd done was no where near a coincidence, she'd practiced and planned out her story in alternate version since she'd arrived at Black Jack.

For every thing that occurred she came up with a different version based on plausibility and probable outcome. So by the time she'd woken in Camp Liberty she needed only to recall the car accident to bring her story to a close. She knew it so perfectly that she could relate it from any point in the story in any convolution and not quote herself exactly any time. She didn't sound rehearsed, simply sure and when she did have moments of hesitation in the telling it was taken as simply being from the stress of the events. Which they were, even if they were different events. She didn't regret what she'd done and considered it only a measure of self-preservation. It'd been the hardest lesson she'd learned over the months but in this instance she'd been determined to expert because the alternative was unthinkable.

"Heather?" Marc calling her name brought her back to the present.

"Huh? Sorry" she apologized as she tuned in, looking up.

"You're all set. Here's all the paperwork you'll need to enter Cheyenne" he said as he handed her the opaque green plastic envelope.

"Wow."

"Yeah, I know. You've got proofs of vaccination, residency, security clearance..."

"Security clearance?"

"Yeah. Basically, proof that you've not been a criminal or some sort of threat to the government" he explained.

"Which government?" she quipped.

"Good point" he laughed. "It's pulled from the NHS database which was connected to all the state agencies on the date of the bombings. So, if you were a Do Not Fly or Person of Interest or something else like that, it'd be kinda' hard to get you in without some sort of explanation. A lot of explanation."

"Guess it's a good thing I don't have any kind of record then" she said as she turned the envelope over in her hands.

"It just makes things easier, that's all. Even if you did, it wouldn't be impossible."

"Oh, really?"

"I told you 'decent' didn't necessarily apply to me. Let's just say that on occasion, I've not been above bending certain rules and using certain avenues open to me to help out my friends" he admitted with a mischievous smile that reminded her of Jake.

"I'll keep that in mind. Thanks, Marc. For everything."

"No problem. So when you get there, if there's anything you need at all, email me and I'll totally abuse my influence for you" Marc said with mock seriousness.

They both laughed, said their goodbyes and hoped the best for each other and that their paths would cross again. After the bombings many things had become commodities including friendship.

_**Jericho, KS**_

Jake couldn't believe it. He'd heard the words come out of his mouth but they hadn't been a part of his train of thought so it took him by surprise. And even then, it wasn't quite real.

"This is going to be so great. You. Me. Us" Emily said as she brought another of her suitcases into the house before turning around and exiting again. Ostensibly to retrieve more luggage.

Jake stared at the group of bags in the foyer and knew that he had not only invited her to live with him, she had accepted and was enthusiastic about it. So quick had she been at saying yes that he'd wondered if she'd been waiting for him to ask.

He hadn't wanted to be alone in the house but now he wasn't so sure he and Emily living together would be the cure to that other feeling that had been nagging at him. He wasn't sure what it was and didn't really want to dwell on it or explore it any further. Emily would provide distraction enough and he welcomed that but all in all he had to admit to himself once again that he'd no idea what he was doing.

He shook his head with a sigh and marveled at his ability to get himself into such situations, "I'm screwed."

_**Camp Liberty, NE**_

"Miss Lisiniski. This is for you, ma'am. From Col. Hoffman." a female soldier said and handed Heather a folded piece of paper.

"Thank you" Heather replied as she slung her duffle bag over her shoulder.

She was just about ready to queue up to get on the helicopter that was going to take her and others to Cheyenne. Thanks to Marc, she was clad in the same clothes issued to the medical contracting unit from Jennings & Rall when they traveled. The sky blue polo and black pants were as comfortable as pajamas and also reminded her that she no longer had any material item with her that was actually hers. The key to her house was confiscated after she'd been taken into custody in New Bern but she'd kept her keychain. A smooth "H" carved out of cherry wood by her father when she was eight. She'd always kept it with her but had lost that along the way and imagined it to be on a roadside somewhere.

"You're welcome ma'am. Have a safe trip" the soldier said and turned to walk away.

Heather watched her go and turned the paper over in her hands. She knew what it was. She'd asked Col. Hoffman to let her know of the casualties, if any, from the conflict between New Bern and Jericho. He'd said that he would get that to her as soon as he could and he'd come through.

She moved up in line holding onto the sheet of paper. Part of her didn't want to know and just wanted to hold onto the question and delay the answer. She decided to read it once she was seated inside the helicopter as she folded it and slipped it into her jacket pocket. After she'd boarded, stowed her bag and taken her seat, she pulled the paper back out of her pocket. She ran a finger over the edges but couldn't open it. She sighed and slid it back into her pocket, promising herself that she'd read it as soon as she arrived in Cheyenne. Immediately feeling calmer, she leaned back and pulled her baseball cap brim down just as she closed her eyes. She knew she wouldn't sleep but she sought any kind of rest she could.

She felt someone sit next to her and opened her eyes to find Marc there and the rest of his unit boarding as well.

"Hey. What are you doing here?" she asked with a smile.

"Heading for Cheyenne. My group's been called back because of some shortage of medical personnel. Well, more like, replaced" he explained.

"So you're going back to Cheyenne and another group is coming here instead."

"Yeah. Apparently, they aren't qualified enough to handle the shortage in the city but are skilled enough to be out here" he replied in a cynical tone.

"Corporate bureaucracy thing?" she asked lightly.

"Hope so" Marc replied with a slight frown but didn't elaborate.

"Well, I'm glad to have your company for the trip. And it looks like the rest of your unit is really happy to be going" Heather noted.

"Yeah. Who doesn't want to go home?" Marc agreed as he watched everyone else smile, laugh and talk about the things they were going to do as soon as they "got back to civilization".

As the helicopter lifted off the ground, Heather and Marc sat in companionable silence. She gripped the folded paper in her pocket and was finally truly glad for the delay in her return home. Marc slid on his sunglasses, adjusted his baseball cap and leaned back in his seat, grateful for the time he'd had away and wishing it could have been just a bit longer.


	14. What You Wish For

**A/N: **Okay, so sorry for the delay in updates for this story. RL was insane. I've had intruding work, a vacation and a sick cat that sadly died. I've come back to the story & decided that I hated what I'd written and scrapped the other chapters 14 & 15 I'd completed and started all over again after having a nice long think. I hope you like it. I'm hoping some cool feedback can jumpstart my muse in the direction of Jericho because she's been pre-occupied with an original scifi work of mine of late.

**Disclaimer (casual):** I totally don't own Jericho or any characters from the show. This is just my toybox & the only things I own are my own original characters.

* * *

**Title: Afterburn (Chapter 14/?)**

**Chapter 14: What You Wish For**

_**Cheyenne, WY...**_

Both Heather and Marc were thrilled to finally be off the helicopter when they'd landed at Cheyenne Regional Airport. A special section had been allocated to J&R contracting groups and people entering Cheyenne under special circumstances. Heather and Marc disembarked, bags in tow and followed the signs into the terminal along with everyone else who'd arrived. Heather noticed that Marc had been far less talkative than he had been and wondered why. He seemed to be deep in thought and preoccupied but she'd no idea why. The list she carried was still in her pocket and she knew that with each passing minute, she was that much closer to having to read it and deal with the knowledge.

They arrived at a gate which was serving as a checkpoint. There were security officers checking the paperwork of incoming people and searching their belongings before they could go on to the next point and eventually pass through the gate. All of it made Heather feel a bit apprehensive but she did feel better that Marc didn't seem so put off. They moved through the queue pretty efficiently and for that Heather was grateful. She heard an officer call for the next person and Marc stepped forward.

The officer looked at him while he scanned his identification, "Welcome back, Mr. Jennings."

"Thank you" Marc replied stiffly, catching Heather's notice.

She also noticed that though he'd handed it over, his paperwork wasn't even glanced at. The officer simply slid the unopened clear plastic envelope through the window to the other side for Marc to pick up. Heather was ready to step up with her information in hand for review when Marc turned to speak to the officer.

"She's with me."

Heather looked at Marc wondering what he was doing and then at the officer.

"Of course, Mr. Jennings" the officer replied with hardly a cursory glance of Heather and slid her envelope through the window as well.

Heather walked through the scanner with a raised eyebrow but said nothing. She was simply grateful that it was over with as she glanced back at others in line being thoroughly searched and some even being taken off into rooms with "Interrogation" on the doors. She fell into step with Marc and they continued on down a corridor.

"What was all that back there? He didn't even check my papers."

"Being a Jennings. Sometimes it pays off and I get to do decent things for friends" Marc replied with a shrug.

"Well thanks. This is all kinda' creeping me out" Heather admitted as they reached the end of the corridor.

Signs showed the way to go for the general public to follow and a glass wall showed the processing area below in which people had to be further approved before being officially allowed into Cheyenne. There were easily a thousand people in the room and it looked like the process was a long and arduous one. High on each wall was a large LED board with streaming news headlines and also a display of which numbers were being served next in various areas. The controlled chaos would have been something that Heather found interesting under different circumstances but now it only seemed intimidating.

"Whoa" she managed as they looked down on the scene.

"That's wild" Marc concurred as he looked upon the scene, taking notice of physicians attending to people seeking entry who were in need. It reminded him of the work he'd left back at Camp Liberty.

"Well, I should get going. Possibly I'll be processed through by some time next week" Heather joked.

"Oh there's no way you're going through all that. Seriously. That's ridiculous" Marc said turning from the view to Heather.

"But..."

"No arguments. Come on" he replied to her protest and tugged lightly on her sleeve.

The two headed off in the opposite direction and Heather noticed that the sign marking the corridor read "J&R Corporate" as they went. She still felt a little apprehensive accompanying Marc through such an official area but she didn't say so. She hadn't looked forward to spending any time in that processing area and was keeping her fingers crossed that Marc's idea would work out.

"Damn" Marc muttered as they continued down the corridor.

"What's wrong?" Heather asked as she looked around.

There were other J&R employees in front of and behind them but and she couldn't distinguish really between them. So much had happened that Heather was never quite sure any longer which people were safe and which were not.

"The suits are here" he replied and looked down with a sigh.

"Who?" Heather asked as the anxiety rose in her and looked around.

But before Marc could answer her, she noticed a group of four approaching them. Three men and one woman. All were clad in black, tailored suits and projected general intimidation. They strode in unison and their faces held expressions so placid as to be disturbing in their unreadability. She didn't like the look of them at all and glanced over at Marc to see if he was going to give a cue that they should turn and run.

"Mr. Jennings, we've been expecting you. Welcome back to Cheyenne" the woman said as they met up.

Heather noted that she was striking with black hair and porcelain skin. She moved with a fluid grace that seemed more dangerous than feminine and held her head in such a way as to be defiant or maybe it was confidence. Either way, Heather wondered if she should be feeling unease or alarm and what it meant if that were intentional.

"Thanks, Delia. I was wondering when you guys would show up" Marc said not breaking stride and not leaving any space between he and Heather.

"Well, you know we try to be about our business" she replied as she and her group fell into step with Marc and Heather.

"Yeah" Marc said, " This is my friend, Heather Lisinski."

"Of course. Hello Ms. Lisinski. Welcome to Cheyenne.

"Thanks" Heather managed and decided to speak only when spoken to as the situation she was in the middle of seemed to have not only history but also a certain level of animosity.

The fact that she was now flanked by one of the men didn't make her feel any more at ease, especially when she noticed his gun holster through his blazer. She also noticed that their pace had picked up and she was feeling like she and Marc were being herded along. Marc's expression remained unreadable under baseball cap and hoodie with sunglasses, especially as he kept his head down. Just the same, his body language told Heather that he wasn't pleased at all.

Delia led the way down the corridor and stopped at a door that was almost completely concealed. She pressed a spot on the wall and a retinal scanner presented itself. Once she was scanned she opened the door and stepped inside followed by the group. Once they were inside and the door closed behind them lights lit the way down another corridor. Heather assumed this must be a VIP section as the carpet below her feet felt far too plush for regular use and the air was not the same recycled from the terminal but fresher and even slightly scented with lemongrass. She marveled at the fact that after a veritable apocalypse, aromatherapy still carried on. It was such a luxury and stark contrast to the life she'd lead for months that she could only wonder at what other surprises Cheyenne held.

Their pace had slowed slightly but was steady enough as to be purposeful leaving Heather to wonder where they were going.

"So, my father knows I'm back" Marc said flatly as they continued on.

"He does. He's instructed us to take you wherever you'd like but it'd be optimal for you to head directly to the residence" Delia replied.

"Fine" was his only response as they reached a set of doors that led outside.

Three black SUVs were waiting for them in a private hangar with additional security. Their presence left Heather feeling not so safe or secure as she wondered why Marc, let alone any Jennings needed such measures employed. It was another reminder that the world they all inhabited now was rife with danger, distrust and necessary preemptive measures.

A young woman, Heather judged to be about her age, opened the door for both Heather and Marc to enter one of the SUVs. She closed the door and climbed into the driver's seat as her passengers settled behind her.

Heather noticed the young woman watching Marc in the rearview mirror as he removed his sunglasses and hood.

"Back to normal, then?" Heather teased.

"You've no idea" Marc replied with a slight smile.

Neither spoke much on the trip to the Jennings estate. Heather took note when Marc pointed out certain points of interest like the J&R Corporate Center and the construction taking place in the new Federal District. Heather was astonished at all the construction and Marc by the rapidity of it. He didn't think he'd been gone very long at all but he recognized buildings that were at the groundbreaking and early construction stages were now complete. Cheyenne was quickly remaking itself into a metropolis and none too soon as the number of people in the city and surrounding areas was ever increasing.

When they finally arrived just outside the city limits on Wildflower Drive both Marc and Heather were a bit overwhelmed with all they'd taken in. The Jennings property was immense and immaculate and as they passed through a secure gate and up a tree lined grove, she thought of oases in the midst of the desert.

The SUVs came to a stop at the house and their driver opened the door.

"It's beautiful. Like a haven in the chaos."

"Like the eye of a storm?" Marc asked and took her bag.

"No. I didn't mean it like that" Heather said with a laugh. "It's just tranquil. Everything seems so far away from this. Like it's impervious."

"A word oft used to describe all things Jennings" Marc replied as they stood in front of the main house. "Thanks for the ride, Staci. Perfectly smooth as always" he said with a smile and nod to the driver.

"Of course, Mr Jennings. Just the way you like it as always" she answered with a sly smile before climbing back inside the car and heading for the garage.

Marc tried not to show his surprise at what she'd said but Heather saw it anyway and shot him a smile at the innuendo.

"History?" Heather asked once they'd stepped inside.

"Hook up" he admitted with a wince.

"Ah. I see" she replied as she took in her surroundings. She realized that the foyer in which they stood was not just large but so well appointed that she was almost a little intimidated about what else was to come. She followed Marc as he led her through to the hall. As they passed through she was sure she'd seen the tapestry on the wall in one of the art texts she had in college.

"So now you think I'm a creep."

"No. I think you're a guy" she said with a smile.

"Are you using that as a pejorative?" he teased feigning concern.

"No! Just stating a fact. No judgment."

"Why do I feel like I want to explain myself you?" he said coming to a stop near a staircase.

"Hmm... guilt?"

"Maybe a little" he admitted with a laugh and when she smiled, he knew it was also because she reminded him of his sister too.

"So this is the crossroads. Your choice. Will you take what's up the staircase or go through door number 2?" he asked and gestured to each alternative.

"Um..." Heather contemplated her options noting that just beyond the doors was an azure pool with sunlight tripping across. "Door number 2?"

"As you wish" he replied with a smile and led the way. "A much better choice. The main house is a bit formal and frankly unwieldy, in my opinion" he opened the doors and pointed across the way, "But the pool house... has always been the place to be."

Heather stood behind Marc and took in not just the pool house but also the expanse leading up to it. She wasn't even sure how large the pool was as it curved and went on to a place that was beyond her view. The walkway was a mosaic of colors which she was sure revealed a perfect pattern from above but it was so vast she was unable to make it out while standing on it. The pool house seemed to her to be large enough to serve as a single family residence unto itself. She noted that it was actually larger than her own bungalow back in Jericho.

"I don't need that much space."

"There's very little about this place that's based on necessity. Besides, this'll give you something you've not had since you were back home" Marc said as the two continued on.

"Yeah, what's that?" Heather asked

"Privacy."

_**Jericho, KS...**_

Emily walked through town taking in all the activity. Since the arrival of the military, Jericho had been undergoing massive infrastructure reconstruction. She noticed employees from the electric company working with military electricians over plans and was very happy to see them. Hot running water was at the top of her list of things most wanted but she knew that the Green house was in a sector that was at least a three weeks away from that. She had laughed to herself at the irony when she'd heard that her home in The Pines was to be restored this week. She'd wondered if it'd had anything to do with the fact that Gray & a number of Jericho's most influential citizens lived there. She'd resigned herself to lukewarm baths for a bit longer but took solace in the fact that the bed she now shared was warm and cozy.

That she always awoke in the morning to find Jake's side of the bed empty was bothering her. She was worried about him and hadn't been able to find a way to make him smile or laugh. Worse still, he didn't seem to want to talk about how he was feeling about his father's death or his mother's departure. She watched him walk as though weighed down and he didn't seem to want to be unburdened either. He didn't talk to her, at least about things that were important. He was almost entirely consumed with the tragedies and plights of everyone else in the town without consideration of his own. And while she could see how others would consider it somewhat noble, she found it dangerous and misguided. And even so, there wasn't anything she could do about it.

As she reached the Green home she climbed the stairs and went inside. The house retained all the familiarity of the same place she'd remembered from when she was younger. Her time in this space had always felt too short and she'd craved more and wished to be on the inside because it seemed all so special. It dawned on her as she stood in the living room that it hadn't been the house after all. It'd been the people... the family, that she'd longed so much to be a part of. But now it was fractured irreparably.

Emily turned and walked back outside and headed toward her house in The Pines. She knew she still had some gasoline in her garage somewhere because Roger had been so prepared a person. She needed to fuel up her car and take a little trip. Because more than anything else at the moment, she needed to see her father.

_**Cheyenne, WY...**_

After Marc had given Heather the grand tour of the pool house and handed over a set of keys to her, he'd headed back to the main house. He was tired and wanted to change his clothes. The house was quiet as he walked through and up the stairs toward his room. It was far too quiet and reminded him that Shannon hadn't come out to Cheyenne as their father had requested for an impromptu family trip just before the bombings. She'd given Marc a million reasons why she wouldn't when he'd called to try to persuade her. Their conversations about the subject always ended the same way, with her accusing him of having taken their father's side over their mother's and him slamming her with his annoyance that though she was elder, she needed to grow up. His only solace now was the fact that their subsequent phone tag messages for one another were peaceful and apologetic. If not for the ability to make up by voice mail, Marc knew their last comments to one another would be something that plagued him even more now. In much the same way the last conversation he'd had with his mother replayed in his mind. He hadn't been mean or wrong but he wished he'd apologized to her just the same. He pushed the thought out of his mind once again and sighed.

"Not now" he told himself as he continued down the hall and opened the door to his room.

He wasn't surprised to find everything just as he'd left it when he walked into his bedroom. A stray sock lay on the floor and provided the answer to a question he'd asked many weeks ago when he'd unpacked his bag upon arriving at his first assignment. He bent over, picked it up and chuckled while tossing it on his bed.

He dropped his bag on the floor and kicked it under his desk to be dealt with later. He picked up the remote control and turned on the flat screen television on the wall. The news was on and it was just as good as any other noise to him. He just didn't want the place to feel like a vacuum. He tossed the remote on the bed and headed to his bathroom for a long awaited shower.

After his shower and getting dressed in jeans and a tee shirt, Marc finally felt relaxed. He'd forgotten how much he'd missed truly hot water and decent soap. He fell back on his bed and looked at the television. There were updates about death counts and injured that raced across the bottom of the screen in a continuous loop with other blurbs about politics, weather and much to Marc's surprise, celebrity news. He stopped listening to the people reading the news and just watched the images go by.

Heather was more than grateful for the hospitality Marc had extended to her. She'd anticipated having a room to sleep in but nothing near the extravagance she found herself in. She was surrounded by blond wood, glass and white with accents of Mediterranean blue. She almost expected to find a beach nearby albeit man-made. Marc had told her that she had full run of the space and not to worry about a thing and make herself completely at home, but she still slipped off her shoes when she decided to tread on the white carpeted stairs leading to the second level.

She chose the smaller of two bedrooms and unpacked the few things she had and put them away in the wardrobe. She took off her jacket and the folded paper fell out onto the bed. She picked it up and turned it over in her hands before laying it down on the table next to the bed.

"Later" she told herself.

What she needed now more than anything was a shower. When she found that there was hot water that produced actual steam she smiled at the luxury and tried to recall the last time she'd felt the sensation. The body wash in the shower smelled like a perfect day on the beach and she couldn't believe anyone still had anything like it so long after the bombings. She wasn't the most girly of women but she appreciated a pleasant scent and personal toiletries as much as the next woman. Such things weren't a necessity but they were welcome when one could get them.

She felt energized and a bit relaxed when she'd finished. She dressed in the J&R tee shirt and sweat pants she was given at Camp Liberty along with socks and shoes and decided to find Marc. She was glad that he'd been more like himself when they'd arrived but she wondered why he didn't seem terribly enthusiastic to be home. One thing was clear, it wasn't just his assignment or termination of it that was bothering him.

She walked out past the pool and entered the house through the kitchen. It reminded her of an English country house and she noticed that the kitchen was pristine. Tones of cream and muted metallics blended into a subtle landscape that warmed in the sunlight streaming in from the windows. She noticed that it was in ways not at all like a kitchen. Most of the appliances were so concealed that they didn't appear as their function, their form was equally important. She found it inviting and cozy and not at all like the kitchens she was used to as she walked through. The Sub-Zero was clear enough but the armoire next to it surprised her as not a cabinet space but instead an additional refrigerator.

"My thoughts exactly!" Marc announced as he entered the kitchen.

"Hey! I was just..." she stammered about to explain.

"Wow. You're not seriously going to apologize for raiding the refrigerator are you?" Marc asked and leaned back on the door of the Sub-Zero.

"I just don't want to overstep any boundaries" she answered with a slight shrug and noticed bottles of Coke on the second shelf.

"Fair enough. You can stay here but you can't eat. Go find yourself a soup kitchen in the city and get yourself sorted!" he teased and reached over her head to grab ice cream.

Heather chuckled, "Okay. Fine. I get it."

"Well there's one thing" Marc said seriously.

"What?"

"You're not getting any of this ice cream. That's where I draw the line" he replied with mock seriousness.

They laughed and had a good raid of the kitchen. When they'd finished they sat back and looked at the remains of their binge.

"I can't believe we ate all this" Heather said as she looked over an empty plate of carved turkey slices and swiss cheese alongside assorted condiments and bags of potato chips and tortillas.

"We really did" Marc said with his head down on the counter as he looked into one of the two empty ice cream cartons he'd devoured.

"I think this was the best meal I've had in ages. I can't remember the last time I had actual turkey" she said and started to separate the trash from what was left.

"Ditto" Marc pulled himself up, took the trash and tossed it.

"Thanks again."

"No problem" he replied and noticed her attire. "You know you can't go around like that, right?"

"Like what?" she looked down wondering if she'd spilled something.

"In J&R issue clothes. At least not in Cheyenne. They're pretty anal about the clothes and who wears what."

"But it's all I have."

"I think we can fix that. Follow me" he said while turning on his heel and walking out of the kitchen.

"So, what? You know fashion?" she asked, catching up with him.

"No. But I can get you a tee shirt and jeans that'll most likely fit until we go downtown."

She followed him down the hall to his room, taking note of the art as she went along.

"You live in a gallery" she marveled.

"My father has a deep appreciation for art and my mother had a deep appreciation for spending money and impressing people. I think both would be pleased with your statement" he replied with no malice and opened the door and entered.

Heather followed behind and lingered in the doorway. She looked around and noticed the wall that was a bookshelf. It looked as if it could swallow up his bed at any minute. Just like everything else in the house, Marc's room was large and well appointed. Heavy mahogany and cherry wood furnishings were complimented by the plush plaid carpet underfoot. The word _baronial_ came to mind but she found it far too formal for Marc. Especially when she noticed the gaming system controls lying haphazardly at the foot of his bed.

"Just a sec. They're here somewhere" he called from what looked to Heather like another room but she realized was his closet.

"Take your time" she called and came further into the room.

She was standing next to his desk and noticed his pictures among textbooks and his Fall class schedule at the University of Washington School of Medicine in Seattle. There were pictures of him with a man standing together on a yacht and smiling. She supposed that was his father as they had the same blue eyes and smile. Another picture, black and white in a silver frame, was of a beautiful dark haired, dark eyed woman who's expression reminded her of the Mona Lisa. Heather truly couldn't tell if it was a smile or a smirk. Either way, she looked like she could possibly be old enough to be Marc's mother... maybe. The picture adjacent was of Marc and a young woman sitting on a sofa in front of a window that showed the Manhattan skyline. Heather assumed she was his sister. She wore almost the same expression as the woman in the other picture.

"I knew it! Here it is!" Marc called and walked out of his closet holding a red tee shirt and a pair of jeans. "For you."

"What are you doing with these? The tags are still on."

"See, I can tell, you're thinking cross-dressing... but, no. One, they're too small for me and two they're not my style" he quipped.

"Is there a three?" Heather teased while trying to suppress a laugh.

"Once upon a time, I had a girlfriend and she loved to shop. She shopped so much that she sometimes didn't get around to all the things she'd bought. And she tended to leave things here when she came over."

"Thanks. I'm gonna go change."

"There are scissors in the medicine cabinet if you need them" he called behind her as she went into the bathroom.

When Heather emerged she was amazed, "They fit... perfectly."

"Excellent. I thought they might" Marc replied while checking his email as he sat on his bed.

Heather walked back over to his desk and picked up a framed picture of Marc with a petite blonde, "Wow. Is this your girlfriend? She's adorable."

He sighed, "Ex. Girlfriend. Trish Merrick."

"Oh. Sorry" she winced and set the frame back down on the desk.

"Don't be. It's one of those classic cases of boy meets girl. They fall in love. Girl rips boy's heart out and eats it for breakfast. Boy can't get over girl. You know, typical" he said with a shrug & self-deprecating smile but she could see the hurt underneath.

"But at least you aren't dwelling on it."

"No. No more than 23 out of 24 hours a day."

"As little as that?" she teased and sat in the chair at the desk.

"Yeah. But her existence in my life is serving you well now, so it wasn't all for nothing" he said, indicating Heather's attire. "So what's your story?"

"My story?" she asked

"Yeah. Who is it for you?"

"First of all, what makes you think there's anyone? And what makes you think all isn't well?" she asked as Jake crossed her mind.

"For one thing" he began and set aside his laptop, "you're smart and forgive my being a typical guy here, you've got a hot, quirky think going on. That there's no one else who's noticed that would suggest that Jericho is populated with only gay men and even then, they'd have to be blind and deaf not to see that in you."

Heather laughed and blushed at the compliment.

Marc continued, "And if all were on, you'd have found a way to get back there, no matter what Hoffman said. You're determined like that, at least I've observed you to be."

"Okay" Heather acquiesced, "There was kind of someone, but nothing much ever really came of it."

"See? I knew it. Why not? Is he stupid?"

"No. He's not stupid. Not at all" she began. "I think our timing was bad. And... we're just very different people."

"'Cause "very different people" have never gotten together" Marc commented with a feigned nod of understanding and a smile.

"It's complicated" she said realizing that she was no longer sure that she was right about what she'd said on that road when she and Jake had parted ways after Black Jack. It seemed like years ago instead of months.

"Isn't it always?"


	15. Hide & Seek

**A/N: **Here's the next installment, guys. Next stop... Jericho! Woo Hoo! Thanks for all the feedback, it's helped more than you know. :) I cut it down from the original length, so this is all the pertinent info to move forward. xoxo

**Disclaimer (casual):** I totally don't own Jericho or any characters from the show. This is just my toybox & the only things I own are my own original characters.

* * *

**Title: Afterburn (Chapter 15/?)**

**Chapter 15: Hide & Seek  
**

**Part I**

_**Cheyenne, WY**_

When Heather finally sat down and read the list of casualties from the New Bern conflict with Jericho, she held her breath. She'd been able to tell that the print was of a smaller font through the paper and knew that it would likely be a long list. The knowledge that many of the names would be familiar to her from both sides was distressing and she didn't know how she was supposed to cope with it. In her mind, her loyalties had not been divided. She wanted both sides to exist harmoniously and still felt a pang of sorrow that she couldn't be an instrument to that end. Her interest in ending the conflict had been in the interest of the safety of both sides. That she'd been considered a traitor by anyone in New Bern had hurt her but she understood the propaganda of Constantino and the willingness of people to believe it. She didn't hold a grudge against any of them and had promised herself that she would still do all she could to help should the situation warrant it.

Her eyes scanned the page and as she read names, faces crossed her mind that matched. She reached over to the night table and pulled a tissue out of the box as her vision clouded with tears. Names stung her from the page. Some were her age, some were younger and still others were older. Those that taught her were listed among those she had taught and it was all terrible. Even so, she continued reading, determined to finish. And then she reached the name that made her trembling hand drop the paper.

Jericho. Johnston Jacob Green. Deceased. Cause: Gunshot wound.

As the paper lay in her lap, Heather blinked to clear her vision. But the blinking didn't change the print and she had to accept the meaning that was bearing down on her. The reading of each name had chipped away a little at her but that of Mayor Green was the one that broke her. She knew what he'd meant to everyone in Jericho and the loss of him would be a severe blow to the town. Even more was the distress it would surely have caused his family. She knew very well what the loss of a parent felt like and knew that it wasn't one of those things you really ever get over, you simply learn to live with it. She grieved for Jake and Eric having to too soon take that journey. She couldn't even begin to fathom the loss Mrs. Green was now enduring but she knew it must be immense.

For each name Heather had read, she felt a pang of responsibility and it was a reminder that she had failed in her task to assist in protecting the town. Help had come too late and lives had been lost as a result. She wiped away her tears and thought of the folly of her hubris when she'd decided to head off to New Bern.

"Save the town" she scoffed outloud.

She shook her head at the folly of her idea. She'd walked into the situation in New Bern completely unprepared and taken by surprise. Now she realized that in addition to being surprised about the general state of things outside of Jericho during that trip to Black Jack, she should have at least considered that such issues had extended to New Bern. Her idealized version of her childhood home had held in her mind to such an extent that it'd proved detrimental. And now people were dead, hurt and grieving.

She accepted that she hadn't Jake's gift for making things work out even at the most dire moment nor did she have Emily's talent for dancing up to the line of danger, lingering and returning unscathed. She didn't envy either of them their abilities but decided that the stakes were too high for her. Smaller scale and far less overall risk were the things she planned on undertaking in the future.

She laid back on her bed, curled and wrapped up in the linens and closed her eyes. Before she slipped off to sleep she hoped that everyone in Jericho was finding some sort of solace and peace. Especially the Greens and she was glad that Emily and Roger were there to help.

_**Later that night...**_

When Jaymes Jennings finally arrived home the sun was just beginning to set. His usual schedule kept him working late most evenings but tonight he passed by his home office and headed for the games room. He knew with pretty decent reliability that he'd find Marc there.

In light of some recent escalated threats in Cheyenne that bore out as credible, he'd not wanted Marc to linger long and was glad when he'd been informed that his son had opted simply to go home. Even so, he'd been anxious to see him and was pleased he was back. The plain fact was that, ensuring Marc was safe was simpler in Cheyenne. It was chaos but controlled chaos. Outside there were too many more variables to deal with. So when the opportunity to have Marc return presented itself, there was nothing left to do but capitalize on it. It never crossed his mind not to nor did it ever occur to him that it was outside of the lengths any parent would go to for their child. Jaymes considered it an optimal endpoint. The hospital had a need filled, he did a favor for a friend who would in turn take credit or blame, should it be necessary, for the action and result and finally, Marc would be home.

He walked into the room to see his son asleep on one of the sofas, remote control in hand. He smiled at the sight and sighed in relief. With all of the control he wielded, this moment made it real and he could finally relax. He decided not to wake him and instead took the remote control from his hand and turned off the television. He draped a blanket over him and turned out the light before leaving the room.

As he walked down the hall toward his office, he took off the jacket to his suit and unbuttoned his cufflinks. The jacket was laid on a leather chair near the entrance to his office and he tossed his cufflinks landed with a thud like dice onto his desk. He entered his security code and password into the laptop on the desk and read as he undid his tie and unbuttoned his shirt revealing a kevlar vest. He removed the vest and replaced his shirt as the phone on his desk lit up as it rang. He pushed a button and sat down in his chair but said nothing.

"We're green, sir" a male voice said.

"Very good. Thank you" he replied and disconnected.

He sighed as he sat back and read through more emails. There was always more work to be done.

_**The next morning**_**...**

When Heather awoke and heard a knock at the door of the pool house she figured it was Marc. She'd slept so deeply and didn't recall any dream when she'd opened her eyes. She didn't want to jinx the bubble she was existing in and didn't feel like getting up. She wanted to remain in bed all day and hide under cover. When the knocking persisted, she pulled herself up and decided to answer. Wrapped up in a plush terry robe that was just a little too long for her, she trod down the stairs in socked feet.

She was about to say something terribly funny when she opened the door to find that it had not been Marc who'd been knocking.

"Oh!" she uttered and stood with her mouth open. She remembered him from the picture with Marc.

"Good morning, Ms. Lisiniski" Jaymes greeted her with a smile and holding a tray.

Heather shook her head in aid of making a coherent response, "Good morning... Mr. Jennings."

"Please, call me Jaymes" he said and with a nod "May I?"

"Oh. Yes, of course. Sorry" Heather stammered as she stepped back to let him in.

"I took the liberty of assuming you'd want breakfast" he said and laid the tray on the table.

"Thank you, very much. I really hope you didn't go through any trouble. I'm already so absolutely overwhelmed by your hospitality in letting me stay here" she said sincerely, still in disbelief.

'It's no trouble. It's a pleasure. If there's anything that you need, do say."

"Thank you. I will"

"Excellent. I'll leave you to it then. Have a good day, Ms. Lisinski"

"Heather. Please call me Heather" she said.

"When next we speak" he replied with a smile and was gone.

Heather removed the cover from the tray and was amazed at the display.

"I can't believe I just had a conversation with one of the most powerful men in the world while wearing a bath robe" she said aloud and decided to begin with the strawberries and cream.

When Marc awoke, morning sunlight shone through the beveled panes of the four glass doors on the opposite side of the room. For a fleeting moment he wasn't sure where he was and when he realized he was home he wondered if he'd dreamt the last few months. Camp Liberty. Cassie. The smell of death mixed with that industrial antiseptic soap. Heather. He would have kept wondering had he not looked down and seen the sleeve of his shirt that read: Camp Liberty, NE, Unit MTW7-62, Jennings Jr., J. Marc.

"So real" he said aloud and pulled himself off the sofa while stretching. He glanced at the clock in the hallway on his way up to his bedroom. When he reemerged dressed and with damp hair he headed downstairs to the kitchen. The smell of coffee wafted in the air and he wondered if he really smelled bacon.

"Dad!" he said, with a grin as he entered the kitchen to find his father at the stove.

"My boy!" he said as he stepped back from the range and pulled Marc into a bear hug.

"Hey" Marc replied as his father released him and tousled his hair. "You're cooking?"

"It's your first morning back and I wanted you to have a proper beginning" he said with a nod to the counter with pancakes and bacon.

"Bacon? Seriously?" Marc asked as he snagged a couple pieces and devoured them. He'd forgotten how much he'd missed real bacon.

"It's better than that artificial crap you were getting, yeah?"

"It wasn't so bad. Actually... I only had it once. It was pretty terrible" Marc laughed and poured cups of coffee for he and his father.

"Well, you're home now, so enjoy. You've earned it and I'm proud of you" Jaymes replied, accepting the cup.

"Thanks, Dad" Marc said and looked as if he wanted to say something else as he sat down & stacked pancakes on his plate.

Jaymes sat down across from him, "What?"

"Nothing... it's just... my coming back. You didn't..." he fumbled around his question while alternating between seriously buttering his pancakes and glancing at his father for an answer.

"I can't answer a question you've not asked. So look at me and ask your question" Jaymes said simply.

Marc put his utensils down and sighed. He knew better than to try to get an answer that way. If anything it was a sure way to get his father to push him into asking directly and more than anything else, Marc wasn't a fan of confrontation. His father thrived on it.

"Are you responsible for me having to come back? Did you engineer this?" Marc asked pointedly while looking his father in they eye.

"No. I didn't" Jaymes answered evenly. "But I'm not going to apologize for being glad that you're home."

Marc nodded, "Dad, I didn't mean it like that. I just wanted to know."

"I told you that I wouldn't interfere with what you wanted to do. You're back because your unit is desperately needed here. That's all" he said matter-of-factly. "Speaking of which, this came by courier for you."

Marc looked over at the envelope his father slid across the table. It was stamped "URGENT" and "Time Sensitive". He opened it and found papers inside for his assignation to St. Francis Hospital. He was to report with the rest of his unit the next day at six o'clock in the morning. In addition to paperwork he needed to sign, he found a security id badge and flexible plastic bracelet both with a tracking chips.

"Good to know" Marc said as he slid everything back into the envelope and set it aside.

"You enjoyed being at Camp Liberty, didn't you?" Jaymes asked him.

"Yeah. It was good" Marc replied with a smile as he tore into his pancakes.

"You'll still be working with the same people."

"Sort of but it's not really going to be the same" Marc clarified.

"And what's wrong with that?" Jaymes asked, sincerely wanting to know why Marc seemed tentative.

"Nothing, Dad. I think I'm just tired. It's gonna' be great" Marc assured his father with a smile.

"Of course it will. They've got you" Jaymes said with a smile and rose from his seat.

Marc nodded with a smile and continued eating.

"Your friend Heather seems nice" Jaymes said as he pulled a pitcher of freshly squeezed orange juice out of the refrigerator and poured out two glasses.

Marc washed the dishes and put the kitchen back into some sort of respectable order or at least one that looked like it could pass until Luca, the housekeeper, arrived.

When done, he sat down at the table and signed his paperwork for St. Francis. He didn't bother to read most of the releases and confidentiality addenda anymore. The legalese ran together and all sounded the same to him after the first three pages.

"This is why I chose medicine" he said grudgingly, turned a page and signed his name.

He finished and slid the stack of papers back into the envelope. He took a closer look at the badge and bracelet. The badge was clear, the size of a credit card with a rectangular hole punched through one side and had a black triangle on a corner near the edge. When the triangle was pushed the card displayed the employee picture, J&R corporate id and vital statistics in LED form. When pressed again, the image and information dissolved away and the card appeared normal again. Marc laced it through the lanyard that accompanied it and left it on top of the envelope. He decide to leave the bracelet until the last possible time. Once you put them on they didn't come off until your assignment concluded. He didn't like them at all, it reminded him of how livestock were tagged. Additionally, it was one of the ways J&R was able to track it's employees in Cheyenne and certain locales outside. He'd more surveillance than he could handle already.

He left that on top of the envelope as well and checked his watch. He decided to go and check on Heather. He hadn't wanted to bother her but he did want to make sure she was okay. He'd been glad his father had made sure she had breakfast but it did make him feel a little like a slacker because he'd been sleeping at the time. And even though she was no longer his patient and more a friend, he still cared quite a bit about her well-being in a clinical way.

He left the kitchen and walked out to the pool house. The sky was clear blue and the sun shone brilliant and warm. It occurred to him that on a day like this before the bombings, he'd have been looking forward to spending as much time as he could in the pool or near it. He didn't often think about the things he did for fun before anymore. It felt selfish and inevitably reminded him of friends now gone.

He knocked on the door and waited for Heather to answer.

"It's open" he heard her call from inside.

"Hey. What're you doing" he said as he entered to see her sitting on the sofa watching cartoons.

"Killing brain cells" she replied with a slight smile. "Want to join me?"

"You've known me long enough that you know,I don't have any to spare" he joked and joined her on the sofa.

They sat in silence for a few minutes watching another ill fated venture of Wile E Coyote's.

"I met your Dad" Heather broke the silence.

"Yeah, he thought you were nice"

"I couldn't believe he brought me breakfast."

"He likes to do stuff like that. He used to make these just obscenely huge breakfasts for me and Shannon whenever we'd come here" Marc explained with a shrug. His father had always been like that and always extended generosity to Marc and Shannon's friends.

"That must've been really nice" she replied and thought of her grandparents.

"Yeah, it was" Marc admitted, a little saddened at the thought of his sister.

"His accent totally threw me. I didn't know he was British" Heather said remembering how stunned she'd been.

"He's not. I mean, he was born here but he lived in England pretty much exclusively until he was in his twenties. Completely educated there and everything" Marc explained.

"Wow. Kinda' neat" she said genuinely.

"He didn't think so. My grandparents shipped all their children off to school there. It didn't do a whole lot for family cohesiveness in general" Marc explained.

"Oh. I can see how it could be hard to be detached from your family" she said and felt a bit badly for Marc. Her family was gone now, but her upbringing had been, in large part, a happy one.

"I'd say that's accurate. He used to say it made him a better father. If you met my grandfather, you'd probably agree" Marc continued, his tone matter-of-fact.

"Well then it turned out well, for you and your sister."

"She wouldn't agree so much with that since my parents divorced."

"When did they get divorced? I mean, if it's okay to ask" she said, genuinely interested but not wanting to pry if he didn't want to talk.

"It's more than okay to ask. They got divorced when I was nine and Shannon was twelve. It's been a while but if you'd seen us together before last September, you'd think it was recent history" Marc explained.

"Divorce is tough on people."

"They are. I just think it turned into a sport of a sort with us. It's this weird loop we're stuck in and all we can do is chose a faction and turn on each other. It's all just so stupid and what does any of it matter now? It's just... wasted time and you never get it back" he said, his voice tight.

"I'm really sorry, Marc. About your Mom and sister" Heather said just above a whisper.

He heard her but couldn't look at her so instead concentrated on the television screen "Thanks."

He didn't want to think about this and he certainly didn't want to burden his friend with it. He much preferred solving other's problems. And the current problems he had weren't the kind that could be solved by anyone anyway. They just were.

"But, I didn't come here to drop all this crap on you" he said changing the subject. "Are you comfortable? Is there anything I can get you?"

"There's nothing, but thank you. Between you and your Dad, I've got everything I need and want" she assured while noting that once again he'd shifted the conversation away from himself.

Marc noticed the folded paper on the table.

"Is that your list?" he asked.

She nodded in the affirmative.

"You read it?" he asked but knew the answer already from her expression.

She nodded again thinking of the faces of all the people she knew.

"I'm sorry."

"Thanks."

"You want to talk about it?"

"No. Not really. I just wish I didn't feel so numb about it all. I'm sad but it's not all there. Like it's just on the periphery. Just out of reach. I don't know."

"I know what you mean."

"Have a cure?"

"Ah, no. Not for that one. But, I do have a temporary solution to being kinda' down" he said and stood up.

"Yeah? What's that?" she asked with a smile.

"Come with me" he extended his hand.

Heather looked at him skeptically and reached up to take his hand, "Where are we going?"

"Come on" was all he said and headed for the stairs.

"Where are we going?" she asked wondering what his plan was.

"Well, we're on the stairs going up, so that suggests we're going upstairs" he said with a sly smile.

Heather stared at him "Okay, seriously... what's the deal?"

"Don't be dull. Come on. It'll be fun. I promise" he said and led the way.

Heather followed in shock and slightly dumbfounded.

He led her down the hall to a small bedroom and she stopped in the doorway.

"Okay Marc, seriously. What are we doing?" she demanded and let go of his hand.

He walked over to the closet and opened the door, "This. They belonged to Trish, or more correctly, were bought for her. She gave them back when she dumped me, never worn and not returnable. So I thought you could pick your favorite thing and get dressed up and I'll put on a suit and we can spend the day out doing anything that takes our mind off our problems. I'll show you Cheyenne. There's most likely more of it today than there was yesterday at the current rate of expansion" he explained finally with a smile.

"Oh" she said, relieved.

"What?" he asked in relation to her tone.

"Nothing" she replied quickly in an attempt to cover.

"You thought I meant..." he began as he caught on.

"No! No" Heather protested.

"Yeah, you did" he chuckled and said.

"Yeah, I did" she admitted with a shrug and slight cringe at her embarrassment.

"I'm not like that" he protested.

Heather raised an eyebrow of disbelief at his statement.

"Okay, I'm like that" he admitted. "But not to you. You're my friend and I wouldn't mess that up."

"Good" she said with a genuine smile.

"Unless, you know... you think it either won't mess anything up or you're willing to chance it. 'Cause then, we could totally do that" he teased and flopped down on the bed next to her.

"I'm gonna' have to pass" she said and bumped him with her shoulder. "On both."

"Come on. I mean, fine, turn me down but designer clothing and a day out? That's just not right" he protested and sat up.

"I just don't think I'd be any fun and I don't want to wreck your day" she explained thinking again about the list.

"You won't wreck my day if you come with me. Come on. I'll be... Lucy to your Charlie Brown."

"What?" Heather laughed.

"Yeah, that didn't sound quite right did it? Anyway, the Christmas special, Charlie's being his usual morose self and Lucy tells him he needs involvement to shake it. So..." Marc explained.

Heather could only respond with laughter as she fell back on the bed.

"You laugh but that sounded so much cooler in my head" Marc said as he sat up. "Come on. Trust me, you'll feel better. We both will"

"Yes. Okay" she managed to say once her laughter subsided a bit.

"Yeah? Alright, I'm going to get ready. I'll pick you up in half an hour" he said with a bright smile and headed out.

Heather rose and walked over to the closet. Everything was beyond beautiful and she smiled in spite of herself because the idea of playing dress up for the day was appealing to her. It brought back the happy memory of playing for hours when she was a little girl in her grandmother's closet. She'd try on hats, shoes and jewelry in the most unlikely combinations and dress up her dolls and cat. If nothing else, it'd be nice to recapture something of that to remind her of who she was and where she was from.

* * *

**Part II**

**Five days later...**

_**Cheyenne, WY**_

Since beginning his assignment at St. Francis Hospital, Marc had become so busy that he rarely knew what time it was. All his shifts ran together after a couple days. _Understaffed_ had been a gross understatement to describe the situation at St. Francis and he wondered how anyone was getting any level of acceptable basic healthcare before his unit arrived.

They'd been split up and more or less integrated into the regular hospital staff, filling in wherever there was a shortfall and those were everywhere. On any given day, Marc could be in the ER, Surgery, ICU, Pediatrics or out at the airport assisting with the medical issues of those seeking to gain entry to Cheyenne. He didn't mind because there was variety but he missed a level of personal interaction with patients because he moved around so much.

He watched the sun rise from the lobby of the ER while sipping a cup of coffee. The night shift had been nonstop and finally had hit some sort of lull. Marc couldn't believe he'd been grateful for the curfew imposed on certain highly populated areas of Cheyenne since he'd been gone. The population explosion made the city rife with burgeoning grudges and tests of worn patience that occasionally ignited into dangerous chaos. The result was often bloody and sometimes deadly. The night before was one of those times. Overnight, two Ravenwood contractors had been badly injured in confrontations and shortly following, a wave of patients were brought in as a direct result of Ravenwood and the newly formed Federal Police locking down the area and suppressing the disturbance.

Marc heard the news report from the television in the waiting room on his way back through. He was skeptical of the validity of some of the reporting and shook his head as he left the room and passed by the registration desk.

"Marc, you have a minute" Dr. Denis called him as he went by.

"Yeah. What's up?" he asked, hoping whatever it was didn't mean he wouldn't get to go to sleep for another seven hours.

"I forgot to get your signature on the paperwork from yesterday. You were out at the airport, right?"

"Yeah, I was."

"I thought I recognized your handwriting. I just need you to sign these and then I can send them over to corporate for processing" he said and handed Marc a folder.

"Sure. No problem. I'll get these right back to you" Marc agreed.

As he walked down the corridor, he stopped and opened the folder. He signed the first paper and flipped it over to see the next page and stopped.

_**The day before...**_

_When the SUV pulled up to the house, Marc got out and walked directly into the house, closing no doors behind him. He was glad to have arrived finally though he was supposed to be working. He couldn't, at least not for a couple hours. His day had turned into something he hadn't expected and he knew that if he didn't have a little time to get it together, he'd be useless to any patient later. He went straight to his room and just laid on his bed. And that's where Heather found him staring up at the ceiling._

_"Hey, you okay?" she asked._

_"I found my cousin and her children today. At the processing hospital at the airport. They lived in California but I don't know where they were exactly when the bombs went off. Somehow they were exposed at some later date and had radiation poisoning and there wasn't anything anyone could do... to make it better" he said, still staring up._

_"I'm so sorry..." Heather began._

_"Don't be. It doesn't matter anymore" he said softly._

_"Why not?"_

_He turned his head and looked at her "Because I killed them."_

_"Marc..."_

_"Gemma, my cousin, begged me to take care of it. She didn't want her or her children to suffer anymore. She didn't want to suffer anymore. So I promised her that I would... and I did."_

_"I don't know what to say."_

_"I just kept thinking... what if the same thing's happened to Shannon and my Mom? All this time, I've been hoping that they're alive, ya' know. Because I wouldn't want them to suffer like that... 'cause it's worse. It's way worse. _

_Heather sat on the edge of the bed and joined Marc in companionable silence for what seemed like forever._

_"I'm really glad you're here, Heather" Marc said finally._

_"Me too" Heather agreed and let the silence drift between them again._

_Heather remembered that in some instances, the words aren't necessary to convey the most important things. She remembered that well._

_**Jennings & Rall Corporate**_

_**Federal District, Cheyenne, WY**_

Marc had the unfortunate luck to have been being blamed for and taken to task by the CoS for an instance that he'd not been responsible for but had corrected before an even more critical error was made. Even more unfortunate was the fact that his father had witnessed the interaction. Marc's explanations hadn't mattered to Dr. Hill any more than the actual facts it seemed. The point in the moment was to make it clear to Marc that he was persona non grata in the ocean that was St. Francis and that his remaining presence was due to the largesse of Dr. Hill and others, not due to his own merits and certainly in spite of his being the son of Jaymes Jennings. Marc had taken it all in stride and even accepted blame that was not his to resolve it.

When he'd left Dr. Hill's office and rounded the corner he knew his father had heard when his only response before walking off was "We need to talk. Come by my office this afternoon."

"Dad, really. It's no big deal. I told you I'd take care of it. It's fine" he assured his father not wanting him to intervene, in addition to Marc really not wanting to discuss it.

"That was you taking care of it?" Jaymes asked evenly.

He was still annoyed by what he'd seen. That his son didn't share his feeling at having been clearly ill-treated and disrespected was more than astonishing for him.

"Yes. Dad, look, I know that in your world everyone defers to you out of respect, loyalty or perceived intimidation... but that's not how every Jennings is received. People expect me to be something other than who I am just because I'm your son and there's no way for me to prove to them that they're wrong other than showing them. And yes, it takes more time than a serious dressing down but it's the only effective way I've ever come across."

Jaymes listened as his son spoke until he was finished.

"Are you done?" he asked finally.

"Yes" Marc said with a nod.

"Good. Have a seat" Jaymes directed.

Marc complied wondering what his father was going to say. His mind drifted to things that had transpired over the last few days and though he looked as if he was listening to the story Jaymes was relating to him, he had in fact tuned out. He'd tuned back in near the end and gathered that it was a story about how his father had dealt with some similar situation when he was about Marc's age. In a way, he regretted not having paid attention because his father's stories were always good and he didn't tell them often, without being asked.

"What's the point of the story? Other than "I'm a Jennings"?" Marc asked in an attempt to get a recap of the gist.

"The point isn't that you're a Jennings" Jaymes began, his tone laced with annoyance at his son's flippancy.

"It's that you were raised to carry your own water, not shovel and dine on other people's shit! It's one thing to defer out of respect but that's not what you were doing. You acquiesced for no good reason and worse still apologized for who you are. When you do that, you give a little of yourself away to people who aren't deserving of it. You think they really respect you? Impossible. You've already shown them that you don't hold yourself in high enough regard not to care what they think of you in the first place. Besides, you're not looking for them to respect you. That's what you've convinced yourself it is but it's much sadder than that. You want them to like you. You'd do well to ask yourself why that means so much to you from people you don't even know or have yet to have decided that you like."

Marc didn't have any response to any of that. He couldn't really protest against the truth. That he'd been so transparent bothered him. That he'd disappointed his father embarrassed him.

Jaymes patted him on the shoulder before walking out of his office, leaving Marc to think about what he'd said.

After meeting with his father, Marc walked out of the office and closed the door. As he turned he was confronted with the sight of a petite blonde dressed in a black suit. Her hair was longer than last he'd seen her but her eyes and smile were the same. She was talking with someone and tossed her head back in a laugh. He remembered how she liked to be kissed on a particular part of her neck and missed it.

For a moment he couldn't breathe and felt confined to the spot on which he stood.

"Are you okay, Mr. Jennings?", Maddie asked.

He looked over and nodded "Yeah, I'm fine. Thanks."

As he started walking toward the elevators he hoped she'd notice him as much as he hoped she'd not. He didn't know what he'd say or even if she'd want to talk to him but he couldn't stop looking at her and that made him feel a little bit pathetic. He shook his head and kept walking, deciding to keep his eyes focused straight ahead.

"Marc?" he heard her call his name and stopped.

He turned his head and she was walking toward him with a smile.

"Trish. Hey." he greeted smiling back.

They met and had a moment of awkwardness while trying to determine if a hug was appropriate between them but settled on it.

"So, what are you doing here?" she asked as she stepped back.

"I just stopped in to see my Dad."

"Um, yeah. I figured that much" she replied teasing him with the obviousness of his statement.

"My unit was reassigned to Cheyenne because they had a shortfall at St. Francis. I'm working there" he explained, shrugging slightly.

"Well, they're really lucky to have you. I'm sure your Dad's glad you're back. It's kinda' crazy outside of Cheyenne."

"Doesn't stop you from putting yourself out there. It's just part of the job, right."

"Yeah" she replied with a nod.

"So, what are you doing here?"

"It's corporate check-in day for me" she said indicating her attire. "I'm between assignments, so I've been fitting in a little relaxation before heading back out in two days."

"Well, I know you're doing a great job and... you look fantastic" Marc added.

"Thanks" she replied with a small smile and nod.

"Yeah. So I should get going, but it's been great to see you" he said and then added, "I've really missed you."

She smiled at his final comment but said nothing and that spoke volumes to him.

"I probably shouldn't have said that, huh? Sorry" he said with a wince. "It's been good seeing you, Trish. Really."

"Bye, Marc" she said with flirtatious lilt in her voice and a smile as she turned and walked off.

Marc stepped into the elevator and wished the doors had simply opened to the shaft because he'd have gladly stepped into the dark oblivion and plummeted to his demise, such was his mortification. At least he was in the elevator alone.

"Could I be more of a loser?" he asked aloud and berated himself for the pathetic nature of his part of their conversation.

He'd thought about running into her by chance for months and when he finally had, it hadn't gone as he'd hoped. Now, he just wanted to get as far away from J&R as he could. He'd thought seeing her again would make him feel better but all it had done was remind him of how much he'd loved her and that it was still his current state of mind.

As Marc stepped out of the elevator and crossed the lobby his security detail fell in around him. He didn't care. He just wished he knew how to get over Trish Merrick. He'd tried work and random hook ups but neither had erased how he felt about her, they were just temporary distractions. It was a problem without a solution.

"And I thought being dumped was the worst feeling" he said to himself and exited the building to go meet Heather.

All in all, it hadn't been the best day and he found himself thinking back to the day he and Heather had dressed up and spent the day out in Cheyenne. They'd wound up volunteering their time at the Federal Orphanage that had been set up for children who'd been found without parents or guardians. It had been great and quite amusing to the children there that they were so dressed up and working. Marc had enjoyed seeing Heather give an impromptu lesson to a group of children while he pitched in to help the medical staff. If pressed he would have admitted that the loosely organized soccer game was his favorite thing that day.

After her appointment with her therapist, Heather took a stroll along the Riverwalk. It was a new park addition to the city and ran the length of a half mile with a man made "river" down the center, flanked by trees, walking and bike paths and benches and grassy areas. The trees were still on the small side but Heather didn't think it took anything away from the beauty. At regular intervals there were fountains that sprayed water in graceful arcs. She sat near and watched as people walked by and milled in and out of shops and cafes along the strip.

She'd been reticent to go and still wasn't completely forthcoming in her sessions but she'd come to be glad that she'd taken Marc up on the offer. He hadn't so much offered as set up the appointment and dropped her off for it but she'd decided to overlook his overbearing tendency and focus on his genuine interest in her well-being. She'd come to regard him as a very close friend and pretty much the all-over-the-shop younger sibling she'd never had. He had definite flaws but seemed generally to have his heart in the right place even if he tended to be easily distracted in some instances. She'd found it most hilarious that he'd even asked her advice on what he should do with regard to his chaotic love life, as if she had any idea how to run or obtain her own. Even so, she gave him the best advice she could and knew in the same moment he wouldn't heed it. At least not when next he was in the moment. She smiled to herself and wondered who she should ask for advice and thought back to the conversation she and Emily had in the Green dining room about Jake and Roger.

A young woman with dark hair and likely Heather's age walking along the Riverwalk looked over at her and removed her sunglasses to get a better look.

"Heathers?! Oh my god, it's really you! Hey!" she squealed and ran over to her.

"Evie?!" Heather said as she jumped up and the two ran into a hug.

"I can't believe it's really you! After all that's happened..." Evie squealed in disbelief as she and Heather still held on to one another.

"I know! Me too! Oh my god! I'm so glad to see you!" Heather said and hugged Evie again.

"It's been forever, I know. Do you have time? Can we get a latte or something?"

"Absolutely. That'd be great" Heather agreed and they set off across the walk and into a little cafe. They got their lattes and returned outside to sit at a table.

"I can't believe I'm sitting here with my best bud from college after the damned apocalypse having a friggin' latte!" Evie said and shook her head.

"Me either. It's all just so random and crazy. How'd you get to Cheyenne? The last time we emailed you were in San Diego" Heather began.

She had so many questions but more than anything wanted to keep talking to assure herself that Evie was really there and this was all really happening.

"Luckily, the day it was blown to shit, I was in Sacramento working for Senator Chandler. Well, she's not just a senator anymore. Now she's running as Tomarchio's second for the presidency. Wild" she explained.

It was a rare day that Evie didn't marvel at how things turned out and how she had arrived at this place after everything. She was grateful and awed in all.

"Of the Allied States, right?" Heather asked, curious what side her friend came down on.

"Yeah. The good old ASA. I still can't get used to it... but I have to admit, Cheyenne's really organized. And I can tell you from the inside, the people in charge are mobilized and motivated to bring everyone else online too" she said.

"Yeah, I got that feeling. They're certainly doing a lot of good, at least in the short term" Heather said, the thought of New Bern crossed her mind.

"Everything's just moving so fast. It's breathtaking" Evie sighed and sipped her latte.

"Well, look who it is, Mr. Right Now" Evie said as Marc walked up.

"Hey" he greeted awkwardly, remembering having hooked up with her after being dumped by Trish.

"You two know each other?" Heather asked somewhat amused by both their expressions.

"You could say we've met" Marc admitted sheepishly and hoping that Evie wasn't pissed.

"Exchanged email & fluids. Pretty casual really" Evie added with a smile.

"Ah, I see" Heather nodded and noticing that Evie was having a bit of fun with Marc.

"I'm really sorry..." Marc began to apologize for not having kept in touch.

"I'm not. You don't have to apologize" Evie interrupted him.

"So you're not mad?" he asked tentatively but grateful for possibly avoiding a scene.

"No. Not even a little bit" Evie assured him and smiled.

She'd thought he was too cute when they'd met at a nightclub and now months later in the light of day, she thought he was even more so. That night he'd been all bravado and cool but now came off less sure of himself and even if she'd been tempted to give him grief, she'd been disarmed.

Marc nodded wondering what her deal was but still quite grateful for being let off the hook. It also made him a bit more interested in her.

"Heathers, I've got to go or I'll be late for a meeting, but I'll call you later. We'll do something fun before you leave. We've gotta' stay in touch now, okay? Seriously" Evie said as she stood to go.

With her entire family gone and having experienced almost the end of the world, running into Heather was just about the best thing she could have imagined happening. She hadn't anyone around anymore who knew her so long ago.

"Definitely. I can't wait" Heather agreed and embraced Evie.

She was overjoyed with having Evie in her life again and resolved not to lose touch again. That they'd lost touch in the year leading up to the bombings had bothered her and afterward she'd regretted it thinking she'd never see Evie again.

"Okay. Take care" she said as they parted. "Talk to you later, Marc" she said as almost an afterthought and walked off heading toward the cluster of buildings across the way that were serving as the seat of the federal government.

Marc smiled in surprised but said nothing. He wondered what to make of Evie and when she was out of earshot Marc turns to Heather and asked "Did she really mean that?"

"Do you want her to?"

Marc shrugged "I don't care. Whatever."

"You care" Heather chuckled.

_**One week later...**_

_**Frontier Pointe, Cheyenne, WY**_

"So I guess this is it, huh?" Heather said as they climbed out of the SUV.

She couldn't believe the day to leave Cheyenne had finally arrived. She'd been through so much and away from Jericho for so long. She was still grateful though, for the time she'd had to normalize or get as near to it as she could. Cheyenne had held a multitude of surprises, the least of which was the job offer she'd been extended from Jaymes Jennings himself at J&R R&D. She'd declined but Jaymes had said he wouldn't accept it and that should she change her mind in the future, the job was hers all she need do is call. She was sure she'd not need to do so but she had been flattered to have been so sought after and the opportunity to put her degree and skills to use reminded her of what her original career plans had been years ago. But for now, her heart and her mind were tied to Jericho and being as close to their rebuilding as she could possibly be. So when the word came that she had a seat, if she wanted it, on Major Beck's convoy, she knew it was time to go. Nothing else was more important.

"Yeah" Marc said as he stood next to Heather and watched the soldiers ready the convoy to depart. "I have to say, I'd no idea that day they brought you in I was meeting a friend."

Heather smiled "Thanks. For everything. You did more than patch me up and you didn't have to. And you gave me a safe place to crash when I needed it. I can't tell you how much that's meant to me. Really."

"No problem. Just promise me something?" Marc asked.

"What?"

"You won't be a stranger. Like seriously, keep in touch. And if you ever need anything or just a place to crash again... you'll let me know."

"Done, but you have to promise me something too."

"Okay."

"Don't keep pining over Trish. Seriously, make one more concerted effort to get her back and if it doesn't work, move on. You're too great a guy to stay in neutral." Heather advised and placed her hand on his arm.

"Fine. I promise" Marc nodded in agreement and smiled. "But I think this is all a veiled campaign for Evie."

"It's not, but collateral dating isn't so bad. You like her. I can tell." Heather said with a smile.

"Wow. Look at that. The convoy's mounting up." Marc replied with mock astonishment in an obvious attempt to change the subject.

"So it is. How convenient for you. I'm going but don't forget you agreed" Heather said with a grin after looking over her shoulder.

"Yeah, yeah" Marc said in mock annoyance as Heather opened her arms to hug him.

They hugged and she trotted across the street to the convoy. Once inside the Humvee she looked back to smile and wave once more. Marc smiled and waved back as the convoy began to roll out. Marc watched the convoy depart and then climbed back into the SUV and to head home & hoped they'd soon meet again. He knew she'd had to leave but he'd wished she didn't. She was the first real friend he'd made since the bombings and even though he knew her leaving wasn't the same kind of loss, it still felt like one to him.

Heather sat back and tried to settle in for the ride home. It was a little like a dream and the anticipation left her feeling a bit like a spinning top. The two weeks she'd spent in Cheyenne had seemed like an eternity until now. She was missing Marc and Evie already but tried to focus on the fact that they'd all keep in touch. As the convoy sped on its way, so too did time in her perception. She told herself she was just nervous in an attempt to explain it away and calm herself. She felt a tug inside that told her it was too soon but she wasn't listening. She needed to go home and she wanted to. She was finally ready to see everyone and she couldn't wait. She felt more than fortunate to have made a friend in Marc and been reunited with Evie but her home, her family, was in Jericho. She smiled and glanced out of the window as the convoy drove along. Soon she'd be back and able to help in getting Jericho back on track. Soon she'd be laughing and catching up with Emily and stopping in at Bailey's and chatting with Mary & Eric. And seeing Jake.


	16. Bulletproof Skin

**A/N: **Here we go. Heather's back home in Jericho again. My hiatus for NaNoWriMo is over & it's back to this story! Enjoy! xoxo

**Disclaimer (casual):** I totally don't own Jericho or any characters from the show. This is just my toybox & the only things I own are my own original characters that run around in this place.

* * *

**Title: _Afterburn (Chapter 16/?)_**

**Chapter 16: _Bulletproof Skin_ **

_**Jericho, KS**_

Heather marveled at how different a familiar place could look after having been away for a long time. It reminded her of how things had looked to her when she'd returned to New Bern after having been away at school for an entire semester. The bizarre space between familiarity and a certain newness. The sunlight intensified the colors of everything in her mind as she sped past. And while it was all beautiful and breathtaking, she felt a little intimidated and just a little bit scared at the same time.

She'd been gone for so long and so much had changed that she knew things could never be exactly as they had been but she was looking forward to seeing the people and the town she'd grown to love so much. So when she arrived in Jericho, the first thing she had to do, was stop by Emily's. The Major's convoy broke off into separate areas around Jericho and Heather was fortunate enough to have been able to be dropped off near The Pines.

As she walked along the tree lined streets, she could almost pretend like it was months ago and nothing terrible had happened. But she knew that some of the houses she passed by were empty, left behind by people who never came home. She stopped walking, suddenly feeling overwhelmed.

"I'm okay. I'm home. I'm okay. Everything's good" she told herself, thinking back to exercises her therapist in Cheyenne had taught her to use.

She was glad she'd gone and had promised herself that she'd do her very best to apply everything she'd learned. There were still things she pushed effectively to the back of her mind and wouldn't discuss but at least she had a better handle on herself when it came to dealing with others. And she was relying on her belief that she'd feel less like hiding inside being back home. When in Cheyenne she knew that had it not been for Marc, she'd not have ventured out nearly as much as she did. She understood exactly why he was good at his job and was also a good friend, he could see what people needed and help them get it, while never making them feel needy or broken. She missed him already.

Heather exhaled deeply and continued on around the corner. She smiled when Emily's home came into view. She almost skipped up the walk past the rosebushes she'd gifted Emily with when she and Roger moved in and rang the doorbell.

"Hello" a young woman, not Emily, answered the door.

Heather stepped back, thinking momentarily that in her haste she'd mistaken the house.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I'm looking for Emily. Sullivan" she said while verifying that she was in fact at the correct address.

"Of course. She's moved over to the Green house. A few weeks ago."

"Oh. Right" Heather managed a smile feeling embarrassed for not having known.

"It was so great of her to let us use her house. She said it was too much room for just one person" the young woman continued.

"One person... where's Roger?" she asked trying to sound casual but feeling her stomach tighten in anticipation.

"Roger's been gone for a really long time. Huge drama with the Mayor" the young woman replied with a look of wonder at Heather's lack of knowledge.

"Right" Heather replied and took a step back, "Thanks."

The young woman smiled sympathetically before closing the door and Heather turned around as she proceeded down the walkway back to the sidewalk. She didn't know what any of the information she'd just received meant and she didn't want to process it all in the moment. She couldn't imagine what could have happened that would necessitate Roger having to be gone and Emily not with him but she considered that life had been extreme for all of them in her absence.

She stopped at the corner of the block and debated which direction to take. To her left was the center of town and to her right was the way to her own home. She knew that the truth of the matter was that she didn't really want to be around a lot of people at the moment but she wanted to be alone in her own home even less. A shiver of apprehension went through her and she shook it off.

"I can't very well stand here all day and it's better if I go into town sooner than later" she said aloud as she went left and crossed the street on her way into town.

She'd was only a couple blocks from Main Street when she heard a familiar voice call her name.

"Heather?!" called Eric from across the street.

She looked up to see the awe and joy on the face of her friend, "Eric! Hey!"

Before she could say anything else, he'd crossed the street and engulfed her in a tight, suffocating hug.

"I can't... it's really you. I thought... they said..." Eric said as he held her at arm's length to look at her in effort of confirming that she was really there.

"I know" she said with a nod and smile, in effort of not having him say what she knew were Constantino's intentions for her. She never liked to think about that.

"Are you okay?"

"Oh, of course. I'm fine" she replied, a little too quickly.

The question caught her off guard and she'd answered out of reflex and not reflection. She could see from Eric's expression that he wanted the answer to be in the affirmative and that made things simpler for her in a way.

"Everyone's going to be so glad to see you. We've been a little short on good news lately" Eric said with a genuine smile.

He'd valued the friendship they'd forged in New Bern and was heartbroken with her planned fate. He'd hoped for a while that all would be well but eventually accepted that her end had been tragic and brutal. It was something he'd not been able to get over so much as set aside and hadn't been able to talk about with anyone. Eric hadn't been able to explain New Bern and he hadn't wanted to and that made him miss Heather all the more. She was the lone person who didn't need him to explain. She understood and if pressed he'd have to admit that he missed their companionable silences the most.

"It's good to be back. And it's really good to see you, Eric" she said with a smile and embraced him once more.

She'd worried for him when they were separated but had hoped that he'd make it out okay. Now that they both had, it was a bit of a relief but still made her think about those that hadn't made it out and those who replaced them and were locked away under Constantino's regime. She could only hope Major Beck and his men reached them in time though she knew that in the amount of time that had elapsed more were dealt grim fates.

When they parted, Heather berated herself for not having asked Eric about Emily and her living at the Green home. She'd not been able to bring herself to quite the point where she was ready to hear anything but glowing happy news and she'd pushed the cascade of possibilities out of her mind because none of them were what she wanted to entertain. As she continued on her way, she reassured herself that everything was fine and everything would work out as it should. The important thing was that she was home again and the sooner she got back to her life as usual the better things would be in the long run.

* * *

Emily watched Jake head off in the direction of City Hall before she turned and headed toward Branch Avenue. She'd parked her car there and figured that she should get going if she was going to make it out to Jonah's at all that day. Security was tightening but she was still able to get through quickly and with no hinderance if she left early enough. The soldiers at the checkpoint had grown accustomed to seeing her and didn't give her a hard time or make her go through all the regulation requirements to go through. She'd nothing illegal in her vehicle but if she didn't have to "make friends" with any other soldiers it was worth it to her to go out early enough.

As she headed out of town she thought of Chris and her mother and how shocked they'd be that she and Jonah were on a path of sorts to reconciliation. It almost made her sad when she considered that Chris and her mother had spent a considerable amount of their time trying to make that happen to no avail. She supposed that all things really must have their own time and no amount of contrivance and force would make right a wrong. Or make a particular bond where there wasn't a decent foundation for one.

Over the last few weeks she and Jonah had been testing the waters of trust and making long overdue amends. It was slow but sure and though Emily couldn't quite place all that she was feeling, she believed it was all moving in a positive direction. Even so, she had no intention of sharing with anyone where she went on these excursions.

"I can't even explain it to myself" she thought as she cruised down the road after she cleared the checkpoint.

As she drove the rest of the way, Emily realized she was smiling and singing. She hadn't done so in so long she couldn't recall the last time but there was no denying one thing. She was happy. Genuinely happy.

* * *

As Heather turned off Main Street and headed toward her house the events of the day spun in her mind. Seeing the faces of friends against the backdrop of a heavy military presence was a bit disconcerting. She was still a little shaken about having seen Lee Davis in the police station. It reminded her of the harrows of New Bern and of just how tenuous safety was. For a moment, she'd thought she was safe with the show of military presence in Jericho, but that hadn't kept Lee from getting in and she wasn't sure what, if anything, would be a deterrent to Constantino's envoys if not them.

"I can't obsess about that right now" she told herself and pushed aside her fears.

The fact that she was home was what she wanted to focus on along with all the smiles and joy she'd seen on the faces of those she loved and had missed terribly while she was away. Having run into Jake was the most amazing thing so far. She'd not expected his effusive reaction to her arrival, but even more she'd not expected how his embrace made her feel. In the fleeting moment between their hug and her seeing Lee Davis, she'd felt a sense of calm and the same warmth in her heart that took her right back to the last time they'd seen one another on that dark road before she'd left for New Bern.

When she thought of the moment now, it seemed much longer than it actually was. The cotton of his tee shirt was soft but his unshaven cheek scraped hers. His jacket smelled like earth and metal and reminded her fondly of the old garage where she fixed Charlotte. His hands on either side of her face were strong but held her gently. The sound of his voice and chiding laugh along with all the other things colliding in that moment made being home real for her.

As she stopped in front of her house and took stock, she was glad she'd returned.

"And this is what happens when you leave your house unattended for months at a time, Heather" she said to herself aloud as she began up the walkway.

Weeds had intruded between cracks in the stonework and were making their way over to her overgrown lawn. She noticed that her picket fence could do with a whitewash and her mailbox was missing. She didn't suppose she or anyone else was getting any mail so she didn't worry about it. She walked up the stairs and saw that her windows were boarded up and the patio needed a cleanup. She counted a bird's nest in a rafter and evidence that a few woodland creatures had taken up residence in the hutch of the little table that was part of her patio furniture. She decided to leave them to it for now and opened her door to get inside.

She dropped her bag on the floor next to her and looked around. Glass from windows was strewn on the floor and she felt appreciation for whomever had boarded up her windows. She noticed a hammer on the floor and picked it up as she stepped carefully around. A black suit jacket lay haphazardly on a chair and she wondered for a moment if someone else had been living in her house while she'd been presumed dead. She picked it up and knew that hadn't been the case. It was Jake's jacket. She figured he'd been the one who'd boarded her windows and she folded the jacket and laid it back down neatly. She decided she'd clean it and get it back to him soon, it was the least she could do for his trouble.

She turned to her windows with a sigh and felt the glass crunch under her feet.

"Plastic sheeting. And I know I have at least two storm windows somewhere" she said as she tossed her hammer up in the air and caught it by its handle.

As long as there was something to fix or restore, Heather had a task and goal. And if she planned on staying in her house at all, she had a lot of work to do.

* * *

_**Late night...**_

Heather looked around her living room and wasn't at all pleased with her progress. Unboarding her front windows had turned into an odyssey of sorts when it came to installing her storm windows. It was one of those jobs that couldn't be abandoned once begun, no matter how annoyed, disheartened or aggravated one became. And when she finally had finished night had fallen and the warmth of the spring day had faded into coolness with accompanying breezes.

She'd decided that she was going to take a bath and she didn't care if the water was icy. To her surprise it got somewhat warm and for that she was thankful. She scrubbed her nails clean and washed her hair twice before she felt somewhat normal again. When she dried off and pulled her hair into a ponytail she realized that she was feeling restless. She didn't want to go to sleep and she didn't want to sit alone in her house. On the other hand, she didn't feel like doing late night at Bailey's either. She contemplated what she would do as she pulled on a pair of jeans and pulled a hooded sweatshirt from her bag. A folded up piece of paper landed on her bed and she picked it up. She knew it's contents without opening it as it was forever a part of her memory. She opened the top drawer of her dresser and laid it inside before closing it again.

She blew out candles and grabbed her flashlight on her way out of the house. There was someplace she needed to be and she could put it off no longer.

The walk to the cemetery took her half an hour but it didn't seem like it to Heather. Her mind had been racing the entire time and she hadn't thought at all about the distance or how quickly she'd walked. When she arrived, she stopped short, a bit surprised that she was there so soon.

She pushed the gate open slightly, just enough to slip in and closed it behind her before taking the walking path. When she'd spoken with Eric, she'd extended her condolences on his father's passing. He'd seemed appreciative and had mentioned that Mayor Green had been laid to rest near April near the largest oak tree on the west side. As Heather walked along she figured that was guide enough and she'd plenty of time to find the correct place to pay her respects.

She remembered how she found the quiet of cemeteries peaceful and she tried to recall the last time she'd visited the graves of her parents and grandparents. She wondered if she'd ever have opportunity to visit them again and lay fresh flowers. She didn't like the idea of their graves being unattended and uncared for. It wasn't right for people who'd taken such good care of her in life.

She was glad for the Greens that so many people in Jericho cared and would always care that Johnston was gone, so that no matter what, there would always be someone to tend to his final resting place. The thought made her feel a little better and as she came up on what she gaged as the largest oak on the western side of the cemetery, she looked around for markers.

Mayor Green's burial site stood out readily. There was no headstone but there was a large number of floral arrangements and candles. She shone her flashlight around and read notes of condolence and remembrance that had been left as well. She set her flashlight down on a rock so that the light cast itself across the area and she knelt down to pray.

Jake's night hadn't been the best between his being at cross purposes with Hawkins and his meeting with Major Beck. He'd hoped that kicking back with Eric and Emily and having a few beers would take the edge off but it hadn't. He found himself restless and pacing outside the house after Eric had left for home and Emily had gone to bed. It wasn't that he wasn't tired, he simply didn't want to be there. In his wildest dream he'd be off in New Bern killing Constantino and every person who backed him in payback for what they'd done to his father. He wished for each of them to suffer and his every waking moment was devoted to that cause in one way or another.

He looked at his watch and knew that the time didn't matter. He wasn't going inside and he wasn't going to sleep. He walked down the steps and walked down the street. He hadn't gone in a day but he wouldn't miss it tonight. In some ways going and sitting vigil made it real for him. It reminded him that it had all happened and it wasn't just some terrible nightmare. For that alone, it was useful because he didn't want to forget or forgive and when he sat there on the cold ground knowing that his father was beneath it, enveloped in it, it stoked his anger and hatred all the more. It was all the motivation he needed to re-commit to his plan of revenge.

Jake was always the lone person haunting the cemetery late at night when he went to visit and he liked it that way. He'd not felt like explaining to anyone that he did it or why. So when he saw light as he walked the path on his way, he wondered who was there and why they were intruding. This was his time and he didn't want to share it.

As he reached the clearing by the oak tree, his frown dissolved as he recognized the person from behind.

"Heather?" he asked as he came around into the light so that she could see him.

"Hey" she replied as she turned around, surprised.

"Hey."

She scrambled to stand "I was just..."

"No. It's fine. Really" he reassured, his tone softening.

"I just wanted to come by and pay my respects. I can go though. I'm sure you'd rather..."

"Be alone?" he cut her off.

"Yeah. Maybe" she said with a nod and tried to brush off her jeans but gave up realizing she had grass stained knees.

"I'd rather you stay... please. Stay" he said quietly.

"Okay. Thanks" Heather replied and sat back down on the ground, while shoving her hands into her pockets to warm them from the chill of the night.

Jake walked over and sat down next to her and they sat in companionable silence for a while. Heather noticed that their arms were touching and wondered what it was about Jake that made him not recognize personal space. Not that she minded so terribly.

"I never got to thank you" he said breaking their silence.

"For what?"

"For saving my father"

"But I didn't. I didn't send help in time"

"No. I meant the thing with the ice" Jake clarified.

"Oh" Heather remembered back to the event and how much an arch amorous idiot over Jake, she felt that day.

"Yeah. It dawned on me after you left that.... I'd been preoccupied and I never thanked you. So, thank you, for that"

"You're welcome, but you don't have to thank me. It's what anyone would've done"

"But you did it"

"Yeah. I'm just really sorry that I didn't send help sooner to protect everyone from..." her voice trailed off. She just couldn't say it.

"It's not your fault. It's not. And you did send them" Jake assured her.

"Yeah... still"

"Everything is just... I keep thinking that we'll get back to a point where things are normal or I'll just adjust to all this or something, but it never happens, ya' know?" Jake said, his voice sounding far away.

"Yeah, I do" she agreed and wished again that she'd get past that point, sooner than later.

"I missed you" Jake said seriously and turned toward her.

"I've missed you too" Heather replied with a smile as she looked over at him.

She thought for a moment that she was imagining the sensation of Jake's lips on hers. But there was no mistaking his hands holding her head in place and then running his fingers through her hair causing her too loose ponytail to unravel. Stunned, Heather kissed him back. Her hands rested on his chest and she felt dizzy.

When their lips parted, the couple sat with their foreheads resting on one another and panting. Jake's hands still held her head, his fingers tangled in her hair.

"I thought you were dead" Jake whispered in an urgent tone and Heather couldn't tell if it was an apology or something else.

But just then, she didn't really care.


	17. Damages Self Inflicted & Otherwise

**A/N: **This one's a little bit longer than the last. I'd a lot that needed to be covered. Hope you all enjoy it & major thanks for the patience. Oh, and this one was inspired by a couple songs along the way: _Realize_ by Colbie Calliat (if this were on film, it'd be the song Allie Hawkins is singing at the Fair), _What If_ by Safety Suit (because it just seems _so_ Jake to Heather... as sad & pathetic as that is) & _Ships_ by Umbrellas (because I totally think of that as the J/H theme song & think that it was used with good reason & to good affect in the show). I'll get on to the next chap soon! xoxo

**Disclaimer (casual):** I totally don't own Jericho or any characters from the show. This is just my toybox & the only things I own are my own original characters that run around in this place.

* * *

**Title: Afterburn (Chapter 17/?)**

**Chapter 17: ****Damages... Self Inflicted & Otherwise**

_**Jericho, KS**_

Unlike a good many things that Jake undertook, he had given kissing Heather a great deal of thought. When she was off in New Bern, he reflected on the kiss they'd shared before he left for Rogue River. She'd already made an impression on him by then but with that kiss, in that moment, she'd guaranteed she'd be with him always, even if he didn't then fully realize it. That day at Black Jack it'd come back to him. Between what she'd said to him before they left and his obvious discomfort with the conversation, he knew he couldn't deny it any more. She'd gotten under his skin. Her running into Ted and then deciding to leave just made it even more clear. And for better or worse there wasn't anything he could do about it. He added the possibility of _them_ to his list of missed opportunities. But the memory of the kiss lingered.

And then he believed her dead. With all his possible chances of making amends gone, the thought of their kiss didn't make him smile much any longer and he tried not to think of it. For the most part he was successful, but occasionally he'd remember and worse still he entertained the folly that if he could just see her again and know that she was okay he'd be able to make amends and make things right.

So when he found himself sitting next to her in the shadow of her flashlight it seemed like the most normal thing to lean in, take her face in his hands and kiss her. He realized after that it was Heather who'd been surprised this time around. Normally that would have made him smile, to have one up on her, but given the way things had played out between them it only reminded him that she never had a clue how he really felt about her. But then, he knew he'd only himself to blame for that one.

He offered to walk her back home but didn't know what to say while they went. She didn't seem to mind the silence though and he thought about the fact that she used to be much more chatty. He wondered if her experiences while away had contributed to her silence. And when they parted he was glad she did so by hugging him. She smelled like the beach and reminded him of sun-bleached sands and warm sunshine in San Diego. But she still tasted like spearmint and vanilla and he still liked it.

It wasn't until he arrived back home and crawled into bed that the complications of Heather being back and what he'd done began to circulate in his mind. He was grateful that Emily was asleep and when she shifted he hoped she wouldn't awake. He was tired but had so many things on his mind that he was only able to grab snatches of sleep until dawn. He pulled himself out of bed easily enough and went for a shower but his mood was darker than the night before. He was annoyed. With himself. With Emily. But especially with Heather.

He finished dressing by pulling on a tee shirt and looked at his reflection in the mirror. He averted his eyes rather quickly. The clarity of the morning wasn't lending itself to him being pleased with what he saw in himself.

"It just keeps getting better and better" he said sarcastically and walked out of the bathroom as he ran his hands through his hair.

"Hey stranger" Emily said just as he was about to walk out of the bedroom.

He stopped and looked over at her "Hey."

"Where are you off to in such a hurry? It's early" she said as she sat up.

"I know. There are some things I need to check on and I need to go see Beck" Jake explained while feeling quite caught.

"None of which can wait... even for a little while?" she asked in her best sultry voice as her blonde locks tumbled down over her shoulders.

"Not really" Jake said.

"I feel like I haven't seen you lately."

"I know. I'm sorry."

"You don't have to apologize, it's just an observation. I miss you" she told him honestly. She couldn't recall the last time they'd had a conversation about anything important let alone gone to bed together. This wasn't how she'd thought living with him would be. At all.

"I know. Things are just..."

"Yeah. I know" she interrupted him. She didn't want to come off as petulant or needy considering all the things that were going on, even if that's how she really felt.

Jake only nodded and a silence hung between them.

"So, I heard Heather's back. She got in to town yesterday" Emily said more to fill the silence than anything else.

"Yeah. It's pretty amazing, huh?" Jake replied trying to sound nonchalant.

"Yeah. Did you see her?"

"Uh, yeah. At the station... not long after she arrived" he answered, still matter-of-factly.

"Well?" Emily asked and felt a twinge of nervousness, though she didn't know why.

"What?"

"How'd she look? How's she sound? Is she okay?"

"She looked great and seemed really fine. You know, a little different but still herself" Jake explained while the kiss they'd shared the night before intruded on his thoughts.

"That's good."

"Yeah."

"So, did you talk?"

"No. I mean, we did but not at length or anything."

"Did you tell her... about us?" she asked tentatively.

"No" he replied with a shrug "Didn't come up."

"Oh" Emily said, wondering if that meant she'd have to have the conversation with Heather herself. It wasn't a thing she looked forward to.

Another silence fell between them but this time Jake broke it.

"So, I should really get going" he told her.

"Yeah. I'll see you later... maybe" Emily said as he said goodbye and turned and left.

She thought that their conversation was very much like the sort they'd had in high school. Words were exchanged but not information and the end was a null. It was like she and Jake were estranged. She noted that he hadn't even asked her where she'd been all day yesterday, or any other day of late. But what surprised her was that she wasn't angry about it. In fact, she didn't really feel strongly at all one way or another.

"That's new" she said as she slid back down under the covers to catch a little more sleep.

* * *

Heather took her file on New Bern with her and headed into town. The air was clean and the sun shone brightly while she smiled as she went along. Thoughts of the night before replayed in her head and she couldn't help but touch her lips with the memory of Jake's kiss as she waited for traffic to go by before crossing Main Street.

Her plan was to stop by the police station to accept Beck's offer of liaison between New Bern and Jericho. She'd told him she needed to think about it but even then, she was ninety percent sure she'd accept. He was handing her a tangible way to assist both towns in re-acclimating to normalcy and she couldn't pass that up. In some ways, she thought it would help her make up for her lack of success before. The thought of Constantino doling out fear and persecution on others was reason enough though. Her conscience wouldn't let her go on idly knowing first hand what was in store for his opposition. And while she wasn't the biggest fan of the military presence or the ASA she was struck by Maj. Beck's question to her about being able to tell the difference between he and the regime of Constantino. She considered his question and decided that her taking the job had nothing to do with trusting him one way or the other. If she'd learned nothing else over the last months, it was that trust was a thing to be earned and not given so quickly. It was far too dangerous a world now. But, while she was figuring out who the Major was, she could still work for the better of the people. She already had plenty of ideas she wanted to share and was eager to begin having them implemented.

She bounded up the stairs to City Hall and went inside. She met with the Major and told him she accepted his offer. She was surprised when he handed her forms to sign and told her where her desk was. He told her that he was a pretty good judge of people and knew that when she said she'd think about it, she was as good as in. Heather didn't know whether to be flattered or worried about his assessment of her as he handed her her first assignment.

She read through the stack of papers completely absorbed for an hour. There were reports on allegations and occurrences in New Bern. It took her back to her time and she eventually needed to take a break from it. She closed the file and walked out to the breakroom for a cup of coffee. When she found the pot empty she was glad for the opportunity to have a simple diversion and more time to get herself together. She was going through the motions of the activity mindlessly when Jake walked in.

"Oh" he said surprised to see her there.

"Hi you" she greeted him with a smile.

"I didn't know you were here" he said and wondered if she'd come looking for him.

"Yeah. First day on the job" she said with a shrug.

"On the job? Here?" he asked, surprised and wondering what she was doing.

"The Major offered me a position to help New Bern and Jericho get back on their feet" she explained as butterflies flitted in her stomach.

"Wow. Good for you."

"Yeah, so as you can see, I'm doing the very important work of brewing coffee" she quipped and pulled her best Vanna impression displaying the coffee maker.

He nodded and fell silent for a moment. He wasn't sure what he should say and was feeling a bit of dread wondering what she'd say. Just looking at her caused him to feel guilt and he just wanted out.

"So..." she began just as Bill walked in.

"Jake, I've been looking for you" Bill said as he came in. He looked over at Heather "Did I interrupt?"

Heather opened her mouth but Jake spoke first "No. Not at all. What's up?"

Heather didn't hear what it was that Bill wanted, she just stood and watched he and Jake talk. It was the first time he'd welcomed an impending crisis. Jake turned and left the room, glad for his escape, leaving Heather alone with her coffee.

She looked down as the machine gave the signal that it was finished. She told herself that he was just busy and certainly preoccupied with any number of highly important things. He was the Sheriff afterall. She poured herself a cup of coffee and headed back to her desk.

At noon she decided she couldn't be there any longer. She'd just about reached her breaking point with the file and decided that if she was going to make it through the rest, she'd have to do it at home. She organized her desk, slid the file in her bag and got up to leave.

"Don't forget your flyer" Bill said as she passed his desk.

"Flyer?" she asked.

"For the fair. It's tomorrow night" he handed her a flyer.

She recognized it vaguely. She'd seen them posted around town but hadn't really taken any notice of what they were for.

"Courtesy of the ASA, huh?" she said.

"Yeah. But at least it'll spread some much needed cheer in town. Morale has been at an all time low" he offered.

"Sounds good" she replied with a smile. "I'll be there... I may even bring a blueberry pie" she said thinking of the blueberry bush in her backyard.

"I'll spread the word, folks'll turn up for a slice of your pie for sure. How many hometown heroes bake award winning pies?"

Heather laughed and bade him a good rest of the day. She hoped she had everything she needed to make the pie and as she walked home she tried to run through all the ingredients in her head and all the possible improvisations she could get away with. She was just grateful that her gas powered stove was working.

* * *

_**The next evening...**_

Had she been given to loosening her grip instead of tightening it to the point her knuckles went white, Heather's blueberry pie would have crashed to the concrete leaving a stain for a good two weeks or so.

She simply couldn't believe her eyes. Jake. Emily. _Together_. And standing right in front of her.

She smiled when Emily squealed her name and came over to hug her but her eyes stayed on Jake. He wouldn't look at her and she found it difficult to look away.

She still smiled when Emily slipped her arm through Jake's and Jake's eyes met hers fleetingly as if asking her to keep a confidence.

When she admitted she'd not known they were back together, she continued to smile and managed to say, "Well, that just means that either the quality of gossip has gone down exponentially since I've been gone or I don't rate being clued in."

She kept smiling when she explained that she needed to drop off her pie and wished the couple a fun night.

Her smile faded as soon as her back was to them and as she walked away she wonders what exactly it was that happened 48 hours earlier as she sat in the cemetery with Jake. A sinking feeling inside gave her the sensation of deja vu and she didn't like that one bit. She had no idea how Jake categorized her in his mind but she was sure she didn't match up equally to the regard in which she held him. She'd thought the kissing was pretty clear but now she was just confused and the more she thought about it, ticked off. All she wanted to do was leave.

* * *

Jake stole glances at Heather as she stood in front of he and Emily. She smiled but her eyes were blank. He thought she was lovely in the burgundy dress she wore and regretted not feeling he had a right to tell her so.

He listened half-heartedly as Emily and Heather spoke. He was glad that he wasn't needed to add anything to the discussion but he recognized that he was doing his part just by standing there. He'd watched Emily do this fawning thing enough times between highschool and the time he bailed on Jericho that he knew what she was doing. It never bothered him before but he didn't like being used to possibly hurt Heather. He knew he'd already done his fair share of that and didn't want to add insult to injury.

He knew he should have told her about he and Emily but he didn't know what to tell her. The thing with Emily was complicated. He owed her... so much. Even more now than before his father was killed. She'd stuck with him and fought beside him and he couldn't ever thank her enough for that. And eventhough he'd done a good job of avoiding her lately, she had provided comfort and companionship when he'd needed it most. He did love her, even if it wasn't romantic. And he'd started to make his peace with that... and then Heather came back from the dead.

He knew it was selfish to be nothing but overjoyed at her return but he couldn't help it. Some of the most important decisions he'd made in her absence were so because she'd been believed dead. He couldn't take them back now. So no matter how illogical, he was angry with her. Not for being alive but for having left for New Bern in the first place. Had she stayed none of this would have happened. And he suspected that had he not been such an idiot, she'd not have gone so easily. He was angry with himself for that. And watching Heather stand there reminded him clearly and if there was any justice in the universe, told everyone else who could see them, that neither he nor Emily had ultimately been very good friends to Heather.

He wondered if that was reason enough for them to have found themselves together. Surely no one else should have to deal with so disloyal and problematic individuals.

When Heather wished them both a good evening he looked around and noticed Allie Hawkins singing on the stage. He didn't know the song but the lyrics seemed eerily appropriate to the situation. It was one more moment of proof that he must be the punchline to some cosmic joke. Or he was some tragic warning. Either way, it didn't bode well.

He watched her walk off toward a table with pies lined up and wanted to be anywhere else but at the fair. He didn't realize Emily was speaking to him.

"Jake?"

"Hmm?" he asked finally paying attention after she poked him.

"I said, do you think she'll be okay?"

"Do you really care?" he asked her pointedly.

"What's that supposed to mean? Of course I do" she answered and wondered where his question was coming from.

"Right. So that's why you did all that."

"All what?"

"Whatever. Forget it"

"No. Say what you were going to say."

"It's not necessary. I just don't want to do this" he said and backed away, his hands out as if in surrender.

"So you're leaving?" she asked in disbelief.

"Yeah. I am. See ya' later" he replied with a shrug and walked off.

Emily wasn't so much upset that he left, she was upset that he didn't even care enough to argue with her. She didn't quite know what it meant but she was sure it wasn't a change to their relationship that was good.

* * *

Heather started to head home but kept running into people she hadn't seen in forever. Many of the parents of the children she'd taught stopped her to offer hugs and joy at her return. She marveled at how big some of the children had become in her absence. It was a welcome distraction for her but eventually it waned and she made her way to the bleachers on the baseball field. She climbed them and sat at the top. She could hear the laughter of the crowd and smell the familiar scent of hotdogs, cotton candy and funnel cake. She watched the colored lights flicker and blur in front of her and realized she'd tears in her eyes.

"So beautiful" she whispered to herself.

It all had been. Every face she'd seen, each voice she'd heard, the sight of them all together after so much sadness having a collective moment of happiness. People were still in the hospital and the evidence of the mortar attacks were still readily evident on the buildings thoughout the town. Just for that, she didn't mind so much that it was due in part to President Tomarchio's impending arrival to town. She knew that towns not so graced with his presence weren't getting this morale boost but she was glad to see Jericho's citizens have the moment. She was just glad to sit and watch.

Heather decided, after a few hours, to head home. She made her way down the bleachers and headed across the baseball diamond to go home. She found the fence locked when she reached the other side and sighed.

"Seriously? Geez!" she asked to no one and looked up.

She decided against climbing the fence because she was wearing a dress. Instead she decided to go around and cut through the basketball court as she contemplated the reasoning of whatever new security measures deemed the fence locked and the irony that she'd decided to wear a dress this evening. Though she'd thought it's ending would have been different and she hadn't counted on needing to scale bleachers or six foot fences when she'd dressed.

She rounded the corner to see Jake on the court and shooting from half-court. She berated herself for being impressed that he was making the shots easily and noting that the arc of his arm was perfect. She was about to turn and find another way out of the park but realized that she was angry. She couldn't believe her immediate instinct was to seek yet another way out of the park. One that would be completely inconvenient for her. Worse still, she knew it wasn't for her benefit, it was so she didn't make Jake uncomfortable.

"Screw this!" she said and turned back and headed toward him.

Jake paused as Heather approached and then went back to shooting. He concentrated on the sound of the ball going through the net. He didn't know whether to be glad to see her or annoyed that she was there. He wondered why things always had to be so complicated with her and why he couldn't seem to get it right. He glanced over at her as she stopped and knew he should say something but didn't know where to begin.

"Hey" Heather said and solved his dilemma.

"Hey" he replied, barely looking at her and focused on going for another nothing-but-net shot.

"Crazy couple days, huh?" she asked trying to take a peaceful path.

Her tone was calm and usual to him though he'd totally expected that she would be want to talk about the fair thing. Heather always wanted to talk and he knew his hoping she'd just let him off the hook was futile.

"Yeah" he answered and took another shot at the net and missed. He was sure her presence was affecting his concentration.

"So... I tried to talk to you earlier..." she began.

"Yeah, I was really busy" he said barely looking at her while dribbling the ball.

"I figured... but what about now?" she said and paused, "I think we should talk."

"There's nothing to talk about" he replied as he shook his head and shot again.

"So you're going to do this thing again? Seriously?" she asked in disbelief and disappointment.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

She stepped in front of him and caught the ball "Would you stop, please?!"

"What do you want me to say, Heather?!" he asked annoyed that she was pushing him to account and that she was so beautiful at the same time.

"I want you to explain it to me. I want you to tell me why."

"Why what?" he feigned ignorance, unconvincingly.

"Why you didn't tell me about you and Emily?! Why you kissed me?! And why you've acted like I don't exist since?!" she demanded and threw the ball across court.

Jake sighed and slid his hands into the pockets of his jeans but remained silent as he looked down.

"Pick any one at random to start with... 'cause I really want to know" she pressed trying to push out of her mind how much she wanted him to say something, anything, so she could forgive him.

"I'm sorry" he offered finally.

"Why are you such a jerk? Why'd you have to turn out to be such a colossal jerk, Jake? I missed you when I was gone. I even second guessed myself on what I'd said that night on the road, thinking that possibly I'd been wrong. That I'd jumped the gun and that I might just have let this really amazing guy go just a little too soon. In my mind, I'd started to think that maybe we weren't so far apart after all"

"Heath..." he began.

She cut him off "But that's just it. It was all in my mind and now I feel like an idiot for it. Again."

"I... It's not... it's not you. I don't know what my problem is. I don't mean to hurt anyone" he said, alternating looking at the ground and Heather, "I never mean to hurt you."

"That's it? That's all you have to say to me?" she asked and started to turn to leave. "I can't be here. Not now."

"Heather...!"

"What?!" she said angrily as she turned around. She hated that she stopped at all.

"I'm sorry" he said.

He knew it was far too little and no sort of explanation but he was at a loss.

"Yeah, I already knew that" she said and walked off.

She'd have liked to think she heard true regret in his voice but she no longer assumed she knew him even that well.

Jake watched her go. That she'd said the things she had, stung him. But what was worse was that the assumption that he'd hurt her had come true even when all his intentions had been to the contrary.

* * *

When Heather got home she slammed the door behind her. She almost wished she were the type of person to throw things when she was upset because she figured she could do some serious damage.

She charged down the hall toward her bedroom, she stopped to light a candle. She looked up at her reflection in the mirror on the wall and chuckled bitterly thinking about how she'd taken such time and care to her dress and her hair only hours before.

"Talk about wasted effort. I'm so stupid" she said as she tore the clip holding her hair up out and dropped it on the table.

She continued down the hall and ran her hands through her hair in annoyance. She reached her room and unzipped her dress and slid out of it before discarding it on the floor. She grabbed her duffle bag and turned it upside down to empty the contents on her bed to find the comfy grey tee she got in Cheyenne. A flurry of items rained down on her bed and among them was something she didn't expect.

"What the...?" she said as she picked up the large bag of almond M&Ms with a bright green Post-It taped to it.

"_Heather- For the times when shit is out of hand & sucks but you can't call. When you've only five left, you have to come back to Cheyenne. Deal?- marc_"

She chuckled out loud and turned the bag over in her hands recalling how she and Marc had passed a few good hours playing M&M poker and talking. They'd both plotted and schemed over the green ones. He'd assured her that she really was a friend because he'd not likely share what may have been the final stash of remaining M&Ms in the whole of Wyoming or the entire ASA with anyone else. She slid into her tee shirt and shoved everything else back in her bag before tossing it on a chair. She climbed into bed with the bag of candy and picked up her journal from the table beside her bed. She opened the bag and looked at the book and she realized that there wasn't anything she wanted to write just then. She hadn't written anything in months and she'd no desire to change that tonight.

"Chocolate... because boys suck" she said and popped a candy into her mouth and then thought of Marc and smiled, "Mostly".


	18. Thnks Fr Th Mmrs

**A/N: **It's been a while, I know (too frakkin' long). Busy doesn't even begin to cover it but here's the next installment. I never felt we got the interaction between Heather & Emily that we deserved in the show, so here's my take on how it would go down sans actual girlfight. Italics indicate a flashback. xoxo

**Disclaimer (casual):** I totally don't own Jericho or any characters from the show. This is just my toybox & the only things I own are my own original characters.

* * *

**Title: Afterburn (Chapter 18/?)**

**Chapter 18: Thnks Fr Th Mmrs**

Heather was still cleaning up her home and organizing things. She skipped all the pageantry of President Tomarchio's arrival. She had misgivings enough about the installation of the new government and neither hearing nor seeing Tomarchio was going to allay any of them. Her time was better spent finishing up repairs around her house and getting back to work on her liaison duties. She'd marveled at how there always seemed to be more that needed to be done and the endless complexities that she unraveled as she went along. Any given problem presented appeared to be one thing but upon closer inspection revealed many underlying and equally important problems. Triaging was an integral part of her job but she still worried about everything.

While she was righting a small table that had fallen over, a small leather bound photo album fell out of the drawer. She picked it up and opened it. Smiling, she sat down on the floor and began to flip the pages. She read the page:_ CalTech Sr Year/Heather, Evie, Nathalie/ Thanks For The Memories_.

She smiled as she looked through the pictures that chronicled her last year of college with her two best friends and dormmates. Memories of all-nighter study sessions, bad improv karaoke, parties, their kitchen table perpetually cluttered with half finished assignments and textbooks and crushes that changed with the term. It seemed like a lifetime ago and she couldn't believe how young she looked.

"_Friends2ThEndNvr4Gotten. ThnksFrThMmrs_."

_**Pasadena, CA**_

_**Four years earlier...**_

_The morning after second term finals found Fleming House and its residents in various states of disarray. A much needed night of student decompression and revelry had transformed into a mostly quiet morning broken by hushed voices in the corridors and doors opening and closing once in a while as students shuffled about._

_"Heathers!" she heard a voice whisper._

_"Mmnfh" she answered and scrunched down further in the pillow and pulled the covers over her head._

_"Heathers!" the voice called again accompanied by a tap on the top of her head._

_She pulled the covers down just enough to see and opened her eyes slowly. The light blinded her and made her head feel as if her brain were splitting right down the corpus callosum. She barely made out the face in front of her._

_"Evie..." she began and closed her eyes again because the sound of her voice in her own head was excruciating._

_"Come on, you've got to get up."_

_"Want... sleep."_

_"Yeah, well you can sleep later. In your own bed. Come on."_

_The part about her own bed struck her as odd. Just as she was about to ask Evie what she meant, her eyes opened wide as she realized that not only wasn't she in her own bed, the room wasn't even familiar._

_She bolted up in the bed and looked around only to find alongside, a young man asleep with his back to her._

_"Oh my god" she whispered while cringing. _

_"Yeah. Jason Bancroft. Nice" Evie nodded her approval and handed Heather her jeans._

_"Shh" Heather shushed afraid to awaken Jason._

_"Oh, he's out cold. Don't worry about it. So... what happened?"_

_"A lot of drinking and... a little sex" she replied with a wince and zipped up her sweatjacket._

_"Safe?"_

_"Yeah. I'm a safety girl. And epicly stupid" she replied as she slipped her jeans on._

_"Well, we all have our moments."_

_Heather stood, pulled her jeans on and closed her eyes for a moment to steady herself. She wondered if this could possibly be the sunniest day ever on record._

_"What was yours?" she asked as they slipped out of the room and closed the door behind._

_"Last weekend. Kevin Porter" Evie explained as the two walked down the corridor and out the door._

_"Your TA?" Heather asked just as they stepped outside. _

_Between the sunlight and the motion of walking, her hangover was threatening to take her down to her knees. She felt hot suddenly and took quick even breaths to steady herself._

_"I know. I'd like to claim drunk but I can't. And no way can you top that one" Evie said as she dug through her backpack. She pulled out a bottle of water and handed it over to Heather._

_"Thanks."_

_Evie nodded and kept talking as Heather drank, "It was exceedingly stupid and really unnecessary."_

_"Unnecessary?"_

_"I already have an A in the course."_

_"You're terrible."_

_"Please, when else in life are girls like us going to be in an environment where we can have our pick of guys. It's a waste for a girl not to optimize her time on this campus" Evie said as they arrived at their dorm and entered._

_Heather nodded slightly and stopped in her tracks._

_"What?" Evie asked, looking at her and noting her friend looked a little green._

_Heather held up her hand in answer before bolting for the nearby restroom. Evie smiled and followed behind. She followed the sound of her friend resolving a night of serious drinking in a stall. _

_"Just relax into it. It's worse if you try to brace" she said as she leaned over and held Heather's hair back. _

_When Heather was done, Evie handed her a cool damp towel for her face and pulled her up from the floor._

_"Thanks" Heather said before rinsing and silently promising herself she'd not make a repeat of this._

_"No bigs. A plate of scrambled eggs and tomato juice'll set you right in no time."_

**_Present... Jericho, KS  
_**

Heather smiled at the picture of she and Evie sitting in the cafeteria that morning. Heather had a plate in front of her heaped with scrambled eggs while shielding her face as best she could & Evie was giving the photographer the one fingered salute. That year, Nathalie had developed an obsession with taking pictures and her roommates had learned to deal with it in their own way.

Heather removed the picture from its sleeve and turned it over to read, "_Best friends: will always hold your hair after a night of binge drinking & blind you with flash photography. love ya', Nat & Evie._"

She wondered if Nathalie had also made it through the disaster. The last Heather had heard, she was in New York. She hoped for the best for Nathalie wherever she was and slipped the photo back in its place.

_**Cheyenne, WY**_

_**Two weeks earlier...**_

_"So what's the deal with you and Marc?" Heather asked Evie as they stood on the periphery of the reception being held by Senator Chandler._

_"Proximity" Evie said slyly with a smile._

_"Come on, you know what I mean. You like him, for real, I can tell."_

_"Okay, so I do. It's no big deal. It's not serious."_

_"Why not?"_

_"Because the world ended. Because the guy I adored for a year and never got around to telling was vaporized in D.C. at a conference I was supposed to be at. Because my family's gone. Because I survived and I can't fathom why. I can't do serious. Not now. Maybe never" Evie explained quickly with tears in her eyes._

_"Evie" Heather said and embraced her friend. "I'm sorry. You blinded me with effervescence and I should've known better."_

_"Well, in your defense, I've always been a master of cavalier."_

_"You know, we can talk about it. Whenever you want and as long as you want."_

_"I know. But I don't want to talk about it. I can't. It's all unfinished conversations and missed opportunities. Talking about it now isn't going to fix it. I just have to figure out how to live with it... at some point. For now, I'm going with compartmentalization and save it for another time" Evie explained with smile._

_"Alright. Whatever you want."_

_"Thanks. And promise you won't let on to Marc that I like him so much. _

_"Of course, we're best friends. I'll always protect your heart and your secrets" Heather assured her._

_"I know. But what I want, is to know about this Jake person you've got a penchant for" Evie said as she snagged two glasses of white wine from a passing waiter and handed one to Heather._

_"Oh geez... Evie!" Heather laughed_

_"Come on, tell me everything. Killer smile? The kind of body you want to invade your personal space... repeatedly..."_

_The two young women continued their conversation in whispers and occasional outbursts of laughter that caught the attention of those around them. It wasn't the wine, it was a reunion of kindred spirits._

**_Present... Jericho, KS  
_**

A knock at the door interrupted Heather's book sorting endeavor. She glanced around her living room and was pleased that it was more in order than not before she opened the door. She was surprised to see Emily.

"Hey."

"Hi" she noticed Emily held a CD player in her arms. "Come on in. I was just cleaning."

"Thanks" Emily said as she stepped in. "I won't stay long. I just thought I'd come by and see you."

"Aww, thanks Emily. I'm glad you stopped by. I can't tell you how good it is to be home, see familiar faces and friends."

"Yeah, I can just imagine" Emily replied, pausing briefly. "So... I was wondering if you could take a look at this for me. I think it was a casualty of the EMP and I know you were able to restore some things before... you were always a whiz at fixing things" Emily held up her CD player.

"Oh. Sure, I can do that" Heather said stiffly and took the CD player.

Emily picked up on the tension in her friend's voice "We're good right?"

"Of course. Why wouldn't we be?"

"Well... you know."

"Jake?"

"Yeah."

"No. Don't worry about it. It's a non-issue. I picked up a little perspective and can honestly say, stuff like that, doesn't really matter. Too much has happened."

Emily was relieved "Oh, good. I'm so glad you feel that way. I was kinda' nervous about it. I... I really missed you when you were gone."

"I've missed you too. I was worried about you."

"You're sweet. It was really hard, ya' know. You were really the only close female friend I've ever had and when you were gone... well, I missed not having someone to laugh with or talk to" Emily began to explain.

Heather listened as Emily spoke but couldn't help her growing annoyance. It was partly being referred to abstractly that was getting her. She told herself that she knew Emily didn't mean anything by it but that didn't quell her aggravation. It was who she was, she was meaning to be complimentary but it just came off as condescending. And where it was something that Heather didn't used to take to heart and gave her the benefit of the doubt over, now, after all she'd been through, she didn't feel the need for extension of such charity. Her smile faded as Emily finished what she was saying.

"And after all that, me and Jake... well inertia, right? We've always been like that. Repelling and attracting halves. We just always wind up back together. It's funny, he's different in ways and so am I but still, here we are. I don't know. It's crazy. It's all been crazy. But now you're back and I've someone to talk to about... well, everything."

"You know, I remember reading somewhere that the mark of a true friend was that they forgave you your faults and tolerated your excesses."

"Really?" Emily asked wondering at the relevance.

"Yeah. And it just dawned on me, while you were speaking, that I'm no longer that for you."

"What do you mean, Heather?"

"Emily, you've spoken to me twice since I've been back and you've yet to ask me what happened to me while I was away. Did you even realize that? You presumably thought I was dead yet, you ask me about if we're cool over Jake. A lot of things happened, just so you know, and I wouldn't wish them on anyone. But that you explain that you missed me only in terms of how things sucked for you, is amazing. I'm not taking anything away from the horrors you witnessed but I think I can safely posit that I had it a little harder. And you don't say you missed having _me_ to laugh with and talk to, you say_ someone_. Like I'm some random interchangeable part. Maybe I used to be but I'm not anymore."

"Heather..."

"No. I need to say this because I want you to understand. I've always realized that no matter what else is going on, your world revolves around you. I get that. And I've never held it against you. I let all that go because I knew you had a rough go of things before. I figured that's what a good friend does. They help you and give you what you need. But I can't be that to you now, Emily. I won't. Because I just don't have anything left to give you. In fact, I'm running a deficit right now and could use a deposit. So I guess we're not "good". On the bright side, it wasn't a guy that ultimately came between us. When it came down to it, it was just about us and how we relate to each other. Or don't."

Emily stood speechless.

"I don't want you to think that I wish you any ill will. I don't. And I really hope you're happy. You and Jake. I'm not mad, I just... can't care about you more than I care about me. And if I haven't learned anything else over these last months, I've learned that I need to take care of myself"

"Heather... I don't know what to say" Emily managed, still reeling.

Heather sat the cd player on her desk "You don't need to say anything, Em. I'll do my best on this for you and get it back as soon as I can."

"Thanks" Emily said awkwardly.

"Sure.

"Well... I guess I should... I should go. I'll see you."

Heather acknowledged with a nod and watched Emily leave. She felt better and wondered if she hadn't gone through all she had in recent months would her feelings have been the same with regard to their friendship.

"Either way, there's no going back" she told herself with a shrug and went back to organizing her bookshelves.

Emily crossed the street at the corner, still a bit in disbelief by her conversation with Heather. It hadn't been what she'd come to ever expect from her and she couldn't help but wonder if she'd overlooked and underestimated Heather in some ways. She'd gone seeking solace and instead found a reliable avenue closed to her. Heather's words nagged at her far more than she liked. But it wasn't until she was almost home that it dawned on her that it wasn't so much that the things Heather had said, it was that she'd been found out. And worse than having no one to talk to, was having her carefully crafted facade ripped away.

She remembered something Jonah used to tell her "Never get so caught up in the lies you sell that you believe them. Keep your head clear.


	19. Messages & Memories

**A/N: **It's been a long time. What can I say? The muse is a fickle b*tch. I'll just get to the fic & hope it's been worth the wait. The songs that inspired each character POV are: LoveGame by Lady GaGa, Leave Out All The Rest by Linkin Park, Everybody's Changing & Crystal Ball by Keane & River Flows In You by Yiruma. Can you place the song with the character? Oh yeah, remember italicized paragraphs = flashbacks.

**Disclaimer (casual):** I totally don't own Jericho or any characters from the show. This is just my toybox & the only things I own are my own original characters.

* * *

**Title: Afterburn (Chapter 19/?)**

**Chapter 19: Messages & Memories**

_**Jericho, KS**_

Heather looked up at the clock on the wall and was surprised at the time. She turned back around and looked out the window to see that night had fallen.

"Okay. Enough for today" she closed the folder she'd been reviewing.

The office was mostly quiet with only a few soldiers assigned for night duties but Heather hadn't noticed time passing or people leaving for the day. After shutting down her computer and grabbing her bag, she headed out for the evening. A few days had passed since the fair and she was feeling less angry at Jake and after having fixed Emily's CD player, hadn't thought much about her either. It helped that she had so much to do and for that she was grateful. The less time she had to obsess about the things that had happened in the short time she'd been back, the better she felt.

She exited City Hall and noticed a large group of people going into Bailey's. She wondered momentarily if there was a party or function she was missing out on as she headed over to the Cyber Jolt Cafe. Recently reopened, it was the only place in town that had reliable internet service other than the J&R Roaming Comm Center. J&R had the CJC back up and running in pretty short order once they arrived in town but getting access to a computer was the most competitive sport going. It was understandable, since no one had access at home these days, but it could be days or even a week trying to snag a booth. It also didn't help much that the Cyber Jolt and J&R's Roaming Comm Center were being shared by Jericho and nearby Tyler Township.

Tyler Township had never been population dense but since the attacks it had grown. No one in Jericho seemed much to mind that communications resources were being shared by the two communities. In fact, after initial wariness it seemed to help mend some of the damage done by the ongoing New Bern conflict. For Heather, after hours pouring over files and trying to ascertain the next moves of Constantino and his men and avert possible harm to Jericho, it was nice to be reminded that things didn't have to be that way.

She queued up amid the others who smiled or waved greetings as they waited. It'd been two weeks since she'd had the chance to check her personal email and she was anxious to hear from Evie and Marc. She missed them. Coming home hadn't been exactly what she'd thought it would be and though Heather was grateful for the work she was doing to help, something was missing.

After forty minutes of waiting in a line that wasn't showing any signs of moving, Heather decided to head over to the Roaming Comm. Since working for Maj. Beck, she had high enough a clearance on J&R systems that she'd more than likely get access to a computer in a private area. And she was pretty sure she'd get access before midnight.

The Roaming Comm trailers were set up out past the Medical Center, illuminated by floodlights and heavily secured. She still wasn't used to all the security. The everpresence of the military and Ravenwood seemed to be overkill here and it dawned on her that in some ways they were less noticeable in Cheyenne. For one thing, the military wasn't in the actual city, Ravenwood Securities and the Federal Police worked together. She'd no doubt that security was just as tight it was just more subtle. But things outside of Cheyenne were different.

Heather cleared security after having her identification run and was escorted to Trailer C. There were no lines and she realized that it wasn't a general access trailer as she stepped into the well lit space with navy blue carpet. She wondered for a moment what sort of information on her identification prompted such treatment. The air was cool and fresh and soft music played in the background. A receptionist signed her in and directed her to choose any room she wished to use. Heather thanked her with a smile and headed down the corridor to choose a room. They were all identical little rooms with a desk, computer, printer and plush chairs.

She chose a room, closed the door and sat down at the desk. It was all so solitary. It was as if she had two lives going on, or not going on, at the moment. The wonder and oddity of it all was that in Cheyenne she'd felt close ties and bonds with two people and all she could think about was returning to Jericho. And now that she had returned, she'd found that she didn't feel the closeness at all. People meant well, she knew, but it was as if she was a reminder of something terrible for some and worse, something untrustworthy to others. She didn't blame anyone but she also didn't feel like she needed to prove or explain herself on a daily basis.

She considered how strangely things worked out as she logged onto her email account. All the citizens of Cheyenne were issued email addresses under a federal designation. She'd been assigned one when she'd stayed in Cheyenne and told Evie & Marc that they could use it to keep in touch with her. She was happy to find she had messages from them both and both were concerned that they'd not heard from her in a while. She was sorry she'd worried them but glad that someone cared enough to worry about how she'd fared. She responded to both that she was just fine and hoped they were also. The last thing she wanted to do was worry them. She completely avoided the topic of Jake in her emails even though both her friends asked how "_that thing was going_". Heather wanted to tell them that there wasn't a _thing_ and she'd been woefully mistaken to have thought otherwise. She told them about Hudson River Virus situation to them and asked what was going on with J&R that the situation would have been an issue to begin with? She didn't understand why there was a problem or shortage of vaccinations in the first place, especially since her experience of J&R in Cheyenne was so far removed from what Jericho was experiencing. The two versions didn't mesh very well and Heather was having a hard time working out how her personal knowledge of the Jennings fit with the corporate bit.

_**Cheyenne, WY**_

_**A month earlier...**_

_"You're offering me a job?" Heather sat at the table stunned._

_She wasn't quite sure she'd heard correctly and then she couldn't believe Jaymes Jennings was personally extending her an employment opportunity. Dinners at the Jennings home were pretty interesting but this was by far the most interesting discussion yet. _

_"I am offering you an opportunity to take on the massive job of infrastructure repair. It's far from a vanity post. Quite the opposite in fact. But terribly necessary and very much in need of the best and brightest" Jaymes explained and poured himself a glass of wine._

_"I... don't know what to say."_

_"My ideal would be you saying yes straight away but I quite understand your immediate reticence. It's a big decision and definitely requires contemplation."_

_"Thank you. It's just a little overwhelming. I mean, that you'd offer me a job in the first place and a position in J&R's Hydro-Infrastructure Division... it's just the biggest thing ever. I mean, I've only taught elementary school since I finished college."_

_"You're very welcome but please know, this is no charity offer on my part. Ask my son, I don't do those. Rest assured that an offer extended means I have much to gain upon acceptance. Your CV is impeccable, so for me not to offer you this position would be, well... foolish."_

_"You've read my resume?"_

_"I have read everything available about you, Heather. And I, have been most impressed. Your senior thesis on Product Dynamics & Applied Plasticity Behavior was fascinating. And I am told by my top science advisors that J&R would be lucky to have you."_

_"Thank you, again. I just really feel that I need to go home right now. I'm sorry. I don't mean to be ungrateful."_

_"No apologies necessary. I understand and find your loyalty admirable. But if you change your mind in the future, the offer stands. And now, if you'll excuse me" Jaymes said and rose from the table._

_Heather nodded her agreement and watched Jaymes take his leave. Of all the strange twists and turns life had tossed at her of late, this one ranked as one of the most surprising. Being offered a job at J&R would be shocking enough, but being asked personally by Jaymes Jennings, Heather was sure wasn't a usual occurrence._

_____

As Heather was leaving the trailer a blonde young woman wearing J&R issue clothes was talking to the receptionist. She thought she looked familiar but couldn't place her. She overheard the blonde say something about a promotion she'd been offered but had turned down because she was enjoying the field and most specifically her assignment in Jericho so much. Heather smiled at both women and bade them a good night as she left.

She was beginning to wonder if the feeling of _home_ was a relative thing. In her own life she had found it to be fluid. She'd felt it in New Bern as a child, in Pasadena when she was in college with her best friends and when she'd returned to Kansas, Jericho. She still felt a sense of loyalty to both New Bern and Jericho that drove her to do all she could for both but she no longer felt the same grounding she had. Her connections to both felt frayed though not broken. But even through the distance from Evie and Marc, she felt closer to them than anyone now.

After the meeting at Bailey's Jake went home alone. Emily was still out but he couldn't recall if she'd said where she was going or if he'd asked. It had been a long day & the meeting at Bailey's had only served to cause more concern than solution. He knew he was going to spend another night patrolling and on alert. But, he had this moment of downtime to collect his thoughts or at least sort a few.

He sat in the silence thankfully & knew it was only a short respite. Worried about many things and feeling isolated from everyone else had become his recent norm. When everyone is looking to you to fix things and keep them safe, who do you go to, he wondered? It used to be Johnston. He missed him. The old man would have sage advice no doubt from a lifetime playbook. But he's not here and Jake knew it was up to him to work things out the best way he could.

Being back in Jericho had been a double-edged sword. He'd been grateful to have been accepted and trusted by so many. On the otherhand, the responsibility had led to more than that of just the town. He thought of Hawkins and the wider implications of what was happening. That there was no one else he could share his knowledge with was itself, a heavy burden. In a way, it felt like lying. Though Jake was hardpressed to reconcile how that kind of knowledge would help anyone else. He recalled Hawkins asking him if he'd really wanted to know because once they began down the path, there was no going back. He had really wanted to know but as most in similar situations, had no idea where the path was leading until he was already well on it. And he didn't so much mind being inside the maelstrom, as he minded being the only person in it.

He pulled out the journal Heather gave him so many months before and opened it. He didn't bother reading the passages he'd written so long ago. He didn't want to think much about the things he recalled writing and didn't want to be reminded of those things he'd forgotten.

He flipped the pages until he found the place he was looking for and read. With pencil in hand he began writing. He'd been doing this regularly for a week. It hadn't really been a conscious thing at first. It had started off as a quick dash in the margin of a page. Then a string of something else. A piece here at the top of a page. A bit more someplace else. But little by little it was coalescing. All the little bits were adding up to something as Jake wrote and jotted his way through.

He stopped writing and looked at the page. He flipped the pages back and forth to compare what he had before him with the past. He could see it finally. This thing he'd had crossing his mind and calling him back over and over was right in front of him. It'd been hiding on the margins and scattered throughout pages of thoughts he'd written but it was very clearly there. Notes. Melody. Harmony. Chord.

Jake stared at the page for the realization. The knock at the door pulled him back to his life as Sheriff and general protector. Before closing the book and slipping it back into it's safe place he wrote one more thing near the top corner of the page.

"_H._"

"Enough for today" he told himself and went to answer the door. Quiet time was a luxury and his momentary indulgence was up.

_____

Trish arrived at her apartment, showered and changed her clothes. It'd been a long day and she was glad it was done. This had been the best field assignment she'd had yet but she had to admit that she was feeling a little bit of homesickness lately. She wasn't sure why. She thought maybe it was that she'd made a friend in Bonnie Richmond.

J&R field reps were taught to be personable but not personal and Trish had definitely gone past that where Bonnie was concerned. Bonnie reminded her of her little sister and the rest of her lost family by extension and before Trish had realized she'd formed an attachment and forged a friendship, it was already done. But she didn't care. Bonnie, on the most grim day made the job worthwhile. She was open and excited about life in Cheyenne and the world even after an apocalypse. Trish found Bonnie's outgoing spirit refreshing and was so glad she'd decided to go to Cheyenne because she was sure to be an asset and find so many opportunities open to her.

Trish had made friends in her time in Cheyenne but as the vast majority were themselves J&R employees, they were out in the field on assignment as well. It was hard to synch up with friends when everyone was always in transit. And while email helped to keep in touch, it wasn't quite the same as having friends at the ready to sit and commiserate with over a meal or drink.

She made herself a salad, poured a glass of wine and dined alone. One of her least favorite things was eating alone. She'd tried to get used to it but still she hadn't. Her days were easy enough to get through being happy and vibrant because it was part of her job but it was times like these after the day was done that the loneliness that she'd been able to keep at bay crept in. She missed her family. She missed Marc. She left her salad, picked up her glass and went to sit on the sofa. She opened her laptop and logged into her email.

_**Cheyenne, WY**_

_**December 2006**_

_"It's like we're always saying goodbye" Trish said lightly as she and Marc stood amid the bustle of units departing for relief assignments._

_"It's not because that's the way I want it" Marc snapped._

_He couldn't even believe she was standing in front of him acting like nothing had happened._

_"It's exactly that way because that's the way you want it."_

_Marc laughed cynically. "Okay, it's me. Whatever. I've got to go." He started to walk away, stopped & came back. "I don't want to leave like this. I don't want the last thing I say to you to be... mean."_

_"Neither do I. I didn't come over here to argue with you, you know" Trish smiled with a shrug._

_"Why did you come over here?" he asked hoping for the right answer._

_"I, I don't know really. I wanted to say goodbye and that... hopefully, we can get past this awkward thing between us one day."_

_"That's the "friend" thing again, right?"_

_"Marc..."_

_"Look Trish, fourty-eight hours ago, I thought we were getting back together. Again. But you made it really clear that for you it was just a convenient hookup thing. And I'm still pissed at you for doing that and at myself for falling for it. So, I'm sorry if it bothers you that things are awkward between us but there's nothing I can do about that. And I can't be the kind of friend you want me to be." _

_"Why not? Why do you have to make everything so complicated?" _

_"Complicated? I don't know, because I'm still in love you. I can't help it. It changes nothing and I have to just live with it. But, I can't do this back and forth thing with you anymore."_

_"Okay, I get it. I really am sorry for the other day. It's your own fault you know. Whenever I need you, you're there. And I'm going to miss that. I'm going to miss you. I guess that's what I came over here to say."_

_"I'll miss you too."_

_She leaned in to hug him and he hugged her back._

_"I've gotta go" Marc said pulling out of their embrace._

_"Yeah" Trish stepped back. "I'm still in love with you too" she whispered as she watched him walk away. It stung that he didn't turn back once._

_She wiped the tears from her eyes quickly and looked around before walking off._

______  
_

_**Cheyenne, WY**_

Marc signed out after pulling a triple shift at St. Francis. He was pretty sure that if he weren't so tired he'd be in a bad mood. Things at the hospital had been crazy. The incidents of violence were escalating between citizens and the Federal Police and Ravenwood. That was problem enough but Marc was most annoyed that the reports on the news were vastly different from patient accounts. He had every intention of talking to his father about all of it when he next had the chance.

He paged his driver and knew he had about a thirty minute wait so he decided to check his email. He checked his messages as often as he could and always hoped he'd see one from Heather. He'd not heard from her since her return to Jericho and he hoped that she was doing well. He scanned the names on his messages and was about to start reading when a new email arrived in his inbox.

"Damn" he said to himself and opened another email instead.

He read the message twice but still had no idea what he was reading before he closed it and went back to the newly arrived email, arrow hovering over it. He told himself he wouldn't open it. And he knew he would. Because when it came to Trish Merrick, he couldn't not.

_**June 2006**_

_Marc checked his watch and willed the traffic light in the intersection to change to green. He'd flown in from Seattle to spend the weekend with Trish and celebrate their six month anniversary. With plans to take her to her favorite restaurant to start off, this was really not a good time of all times, to run into traffic. They hadn't seen each other in a couple weeks and she'd been really touchy when they'd spoken on the phone but Marc simply chalked it up to long distance relationship drama and decided to make this weekend together that much more special. _

_The rest of the drive to her apartment was done over the speed limit and Marc had already decided that he'd play the Jennings card should he be pulled over. By the time he parked his car and reached her door, flowers in hand, he was certain they were going to have the best weekend ever._

_Trish opened the door, unsmiling "We really need to talk."_

_Marc still didn't take note that this was the detour sign on their perfectly planned weekend. And as Trish explained it became clear that she intended it to be more than the end of their weekend plans._

_"So, you're breaking up with me because of other people?" Marc asked after half an hour of Trish talking._

_"I'm breaking up with you because I just can't handle the constant scrutiny of it."_

_"Is this about that thing in the paper on Monday? 'Cause you know that's not true."_

_"I know it's not true, but that's not the point, really. It's that someone thinks there's a reason to print a rumor or lie or even the truth about you in the first place. It's all the extra crap I have to hear about at work. Do you know what it's like, to have people constantly question your abilities or merit? Do you have any idea how many people think I only got a managerial position because I'm dating you? I worked my ass off for that job!" _

_"I know you did. Trish, I'm sorry. You know if I could change that... all of it, I would" he tried._

_"Look, I'm not saying it's your fault, Marc. I'm saying, I'm not the right girl for you."_

_"But I love you. You know that. And I thought... you loved me."_

_"Not more than I hate the rest", she said and noticed his expression. He looked like she'd kicked him. "See, I told you... I'm not the right girl for you. I'm sorry, Marc."_

_"Trish... come on, you can't mean..."_

_"Marc." she cut him off._

_"Okay, I get it" he turned to leave and paused to say, "I'm sorry. I just... I'm sorry."_

_Marc left her apartment and took the stairs down to the lobby and in disbelief. The whole night... weekend was ruined & all their plans for naught. He'd been dumped. And worse still, not because of something he could atone for. He couldn't not be a Jennings. He couldn't help others interest in the Jennings family. He always did his best maintaining a rather low-key status but that didn't stop pictures being taken, rumors circulating or general interest in him, especially when he took the time to hang out with Shannon and her friends. He went to the parking garage and climbed into his car. Still stunned he started it up and headed for the airport. Halfway there, he changed his mind, turned around and instead drove out to the Jennings estate._

_Jaymes was away on a business trip to Japan, so Marc had the place to himself. He couldn't bring himself to go back to Seattle and have to explain to his friends that he was dumped. They knew about his plans for he and Trish. No way did he want to show up as the idiot and loser he felt like. Grabbing a bottle of whisky on his way up to his room, he skipped the glass. It was that kind of evening. _

_The next morning he awoke to his television blaring some infomercial and a ripping hangover. He felt around for the remote to turn off the television and in the process knocked over the almost empty liquor bottle, while trying to move as little as possible. Marc wasn't sure what time it was but he heard his father call his name. _

_"Okay. Sit up first. Then stand" he talked himself up._

_The room tilted and shifted as he steadied himself and then walked across his room. He wasn't altogether sure he wasn't still drunk._

_"Rough night?" Jaymes asked as he regarded the state of his son._

_"Something like..." Marc said and promptly vomited on himself and the floor. The heaving reduced him to kneeling on the floor._

_Jaymes sighed, shook his head and continued down the hall to his room. It was too early for this. He'd been on a plane all night and wanted to get a shower._

_"Clean it up when you're done" he called to his son before closing his bedroom door._

_Marc finished but instead of cleaning up he laid down. Too tired to climb into bed, he decided next to his bed was good enough & pulled the covers off and over him. He needed to sleep it off some more._

_Jaymes came back by, noticed the pool of vomit and saw his son in his room sleeping on the floor. Looking at the scene, he couldn't do anything but shake his head again. He cleaned the floor, checked on Marc & left a bottle of water & aspirin next to his son's head in the event he woke up._

_When Marc next awoke, it was late afternoon. He drank the bottled water & took the aspirin as he sat up and leaned back on his bed. Pieces of the weekend came back to him. Friday night. And Trish dumping him. Blank space and then... the drunk dialing. He pulled the comforter over himself and laid back down. His head hurt to much to make a sound but he was more sure than anything that instead of winning her back, he'd succeeded in making an ass of himself. _

____

"I'm so out of here" Evie said as shut down her laptop and picked up her Blackberry.

"Plans?" Matt, another staffer of Vice President Chandler asked.

"Only insofar as drinks are involved. This has been the longest day of the longest week ever" she said with a smile and grabbed her jacket.

"I zoned out somewhere around two o'clock. You know, when the discussions became more of an argument, shouting match kind of thing" David quipped while he continued to work.

"Yeah, I know. I think we veered off the purposeful discussion bit when Senator Lloyd called President Tomarchio an egomaniacal asshat. Epic." Evie laughed as she applied lip gloss and checked her hair.

"Yeah. Gotta love that it was being televised live. I passed his office a little while ago & his staffers are still trying to spin that one for the press corps."

"They'll be at it all night and it'll still be a circus tomorrow morning. Are you sure you don't want to come with? Drinks are on me" she asked Matt once again before she headed out.

"I can't. I've got to get this done and it's going to be all night. How about drinks on me, this weekend?"

"Deal."

"Besides, I know you're going to see that guy. What's his name... Moron Jennings?"

"Yeah, not so much. That'd be _Marc_" she stuck her tongue out in mock annoyance.

"That's it. The one you hooked up with, that you're hooked on but have never gone out on an actual date with. That's the one, right?"

"Something like that. Yeah."

"Sounds like a good time but I'm gonna have to take a pass on watching that scene again tonight. But thanks for asking me."

"Don't be such a misery. We're just having fun" she said and tried to believe her own words.

"Whatever. Just promise me that whatever happens tonight, you won't obsess over it tomorrow and hold me hostage to hear it."

"You know, ever since you and Becca started dating you've been no fun. You've gone all dating sensai on me."

"Fine. Get out of here already. Go have fun. Seriously, have a good time"

"Thank you. Good luck on the deadline" she said with a smile and slipped out the door, leaving Matt to continue working on his laptop.

Evie left the Capitol Building and headed out into the Cheyenne night. The Federal District was one of the safest places to walk around in the city at night, especially if you had government or J&R credentials and clearance. Being a staffer of VP Chandler's ensured that Evie's was high enough that she could go around pretty much unfettered and hardly bothered by any security even on the latest nights. The Capitol courtyard was still well populated with passersby, vendors and federal employees.

The vendor where she picked up her morning latte on her way in was just closing up for the day as she passed on her way to the light-rail station. She hardly ever drove to work now that the light-rail was up and running from her condo to her job. It certainly helped on evenings when she went out. It wasn't that she couldn't have hired a car to drive her about. She very much liked taking the public transport. It reminded her of Sacramento. She'd taken the service all over the city there and now having the same thing in Cheyenne was like a little reminder of a piece of home. She'd ridden it to all the stations they currently had up and running at different times of the day. Rush hours never bothered her. It was a comfort to see so many people all heading off to work in this new and rapidly expanding city. She liked that it was more personal than sitting in a car in traffic. She'd never have thought before the attacks that she'd welcome standing in a sea of people and being jostled but she did. It no longer felt like an anonymous experience. Now it was a close and personal one. Knowing that they'd all survived the disaster and were in the same place at the same time now and about to head off into different directions to do jobs that somehow and all in their own way added a block to rebuilding the lives they used to know and looked toward the future. There wasn't a place that seemed more alive to her.

She exited the rail at Canyon Pass Station and crossed the street. She wondered if he'd be there already and if not, how long she'd have to wait for him to arrive. it was always difficult to gauge when Marc would arrive and some nights he wouldn't at all. But going to Positano's was worth the trip even if Marc didn't show. The place was always packed with the up and coming of the ever growing Cheyenne. Professionals and politicos had made it the place to be and be seen.

She ordered a drink at the bar and scanned the room. No Marc.

"That's okay" she thought to herself.

She was determined that if he showed up tonight, she'd finally accomplish two tasks where he was concerned. She'd find out once and for all if he really liked her and if he did, she'd find a way to make him take her seriously.

_**December 2006**_

_She'd been half surprised he was still there when she awoke. When he'd explained that he had to get to J&R's MedicaTech dispatch point by eight she was sure he'd lied about being a Jennings. Her check of his driver's license while he showered proved he hadn't. The party boy hookup of the night before had awakened as a conscientious guy who was about to head out into places no one wanted to be & that clearly, no son of Jaymes Jennings needed to be. He wasn't what she'd expected and that intrigued her and bothered her just a little._

_"How many girls have you slept with?" Evie asked as she sat up in bed and watched him dress hastily._

_"Why?" Marc asked looking over his shoulder at her as he pulled his shirt on._

_"Because you're not selfish in bed... yet" she looked at him warily, "Oh god, please tell me you're not a virgin!"_

_"What? No, of course not. Or did you forget last night already? What's your deal?" he laughed._

_"How many?" she pressed with a raised eyebrow._

_"You're serious?" Marc finished dressing and ran his hands through his hair, trying to make sense of their conversation._

_"Yes. Waiting for an answer here."_

_'You're crazy. What does that have to do with anything? It's important now but wasn't last night? Ya' know, before we had sex."_

_"This was hookup sex. Hookup sex falls into one of two categories. Mind-blowing fantastic and vomit inducing horrendous."_

_"And this was which for you?"_

_"The former."_

_"So why are you acting like it's a bad thing?"_

_"Because I wasn't near drunk enough to have imagined you that good."_

_"Oh. Alright. This is insane. I gotta' go."_

_"Okay, I believe you when you say you weren't a virgin. But no way have you got a list."_

_"A list?"_

_"Of conquests, obviously. Hell, how old are you?" _

_"Okay, wow. I'm gonna' go. Thanks for last night and have a great day" he said, shook his head and walked out of the room. He stopped at the door and sighed. Something about her got to him._

_"Twenty-two." he called back._

_Evie climbed out of bed semi-wrapped in a sheet and stood in her bedroom doorway, "Which question."_

_"You figure it out"_ _Marc replied with a smile and left her apartment._


End file.
